Roland-Garros Line Judges Face Uncertainty: Essential Role Highlighted
Roland-Garros will keep human line judges in place for the 2026 tournament. The French Tennis Federation confirmed this policy after its September 2025 federal committee.
Decision reaffirmed at tournament briefing
The choice was restated during the tournament presentation on Thursday, April 16. Tournament director Amélie Mauresmo presented the rationale to the media.
The Paris Grand Slam is moving against the wider trend. Wimbledon adopted fully electronic officiating in 2025, following the Australian Open and the US Open.
Rationale behind the choice
Mauresmo said current electronic systems do not yet provide full reliability. She referenced a roughly 10 percent error rate attributed to machine calls.
She also pointed to a notable incident at the Madrid event in April 2025 involving Alexander Zverev. That episode, she argued, illustrated ongoing uncertainties with technology.
Operational review and findings
After the last edition, Roland-Garros asked Rémy Azémar, the tournament referee, to compile intervention statistics. The review showed few cases decided by millimetres.
Organizers found many on-court interventions serve to manage time and rhythm rather than resolve razor-thin calls. That shaped the decision to retain human officials.
Role of officials and wider ecosystem
The FFT highlighted the broader system that depends on these officials. France counts about 7,000 clubs that rely on trained referees each weekend.
Officials provide more than line calls, the federation said. Their work supports domestic competition and development across clubs and events.
- Decision reaffirmed after September 2025 federal committee.
- Announcement made on April 16 during the tournament briefing.
- Wimbledon moved to electronic officiating in 2025.
- Referenced Madrid incident involving Alexander Zverev in April 2025.
- French federation noted about 7,000 clubs in its network.
Organizers stressed they will monitor technological advances. For now, Roland-Garros values the expertise of line judges amid ongoing uncertainty. The tournament emphasized the essential role these officials play across French tennis.
