By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, June 1, 2026
Photograph credit score: Robert Prange/Getty
Linespeople will proceed calling the photographs at Roland Garros.
Amid growing requires Roland Garros to undertake line-calling expertise, Event Director Amelie Mauresmo stated there’s one major stumbling block: “Hawk-Eye is just not completely dependable.”
The French Open is the one one of many 4 Grand Slam tournaments that doesn’t use digital line calling.
Debate over the clay-court Slam adopting digital line calling is intensifying once more as linespeople appeared to make a few incorrect calls on set factors throughout Joao Fonseca’s four-set victory over two-time finalist Casper Ruud on Sunday evening. Every man seemed to be victimized by blown calls on set factors.
Assembly the media at this time, Mauresmo stated the match will overview its line-calling coverage throughout its annual debriefing assembly on the finish of June. Nevertheless, Mauresmo bolstered Roland Garros’ stance that “So far as we’re involved, the Hawk-Eye is just not completely dependable.”
Roland Garros officers have stated up to now the unevenness of clay courts is one purpose why Hawk-Eye is just not as correct on purple clay as it’s on onerous court docket although supporters say digital line calling is clearly superior to the human eye.
“I don’t have a solution to [if Hawk-Eye is more accurate than humans] both,” Mauresmo stated. “Nevertheless, you will need to present and say out loud that we belief our system based mostly on umpires and line judges, and we all the time attempt to overview every little thing after the match.”
Line-calling controversy struck the fifth set of the 2024 French Open males’s remaining. Olympic gold-medal champion Alexander Zverev constructed a two-sets to 1 lead solely to see Carlos Alcaraz storm again and win 12 of the final 15 video games capturing his maiden Roland Garros crown with a grueling 4 hour, 19 minute victory.
Afterward, Zverev shared his fury and frustration—-over an obvious blown name within the fifth set. Alcaraz hit an enormous second serve that was initially known as out—-if that decision stood, Zverev would have damaged again to degree at 2-all within the fifth. As a substitute, chair umpire Renaud Lichtenstein rapidly bounded out of his excessive seat, checked the mark and dominated it was an ace prompting protest from Zverev, who pointed the mark was large.
Afterward, Zverev known as that obvious missed name a “deciding distinction” in that fifth set.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Mauresmo stated whereas the match will overview it’s line-calling coverage, officers are satisfied digital line calling is just not utterly correct.
“This query we ask ourselves after the match every year, as a result of clearly we keep open to every little thing, each new expertise that’s accessible for us,” Mauresmo stated. “The factor is that as of
at this time and from what we’ve seen within the earlier clay court docket tournaments in the previous few months is that it
seems that the expertise on the clay is just not 100% dependable.
“It’s additionally while you see Casper’s response additionally final evening, I imply, from what I see, he wasn’t shocked by the
umpire’s determination. I believe it’s additionally we’ve got to needless to say this expertise, as of at this time, is just not 100%
dependable.”
Critics say not solely is the human eye inferior to Hawk-Eye, many occasions chair umpires or linespeople choose the improper ball mark in a sea of marks dotting the salmon-colored floor so typically the inspected mark itself is wrong.
Former world No. 1 Roddick stated it’s ridiculous umpires, lots of whom by no means performed the game on the highest degree, are authorities on ball marks over gamers.
“An umpire explaining to a participant how a ball travels and learn how to learn a mark is all the time laughable to me,” Roddick stated. “Most tour umpires have barely performed. Can’t substitute a lifetime of up shut reps.”
Mauresmo counters the precise ball mark on the purple clay is extra correct than a Hawk-Eye pc simulation of the mark.
“The system is just not dependable as of but,” Mauresmo stated.
