A controversial moment occurred during a match at Wimbledon on Sunday when a ball that clearly landed out wasn’t called, due to a malfunction with the electronic line-calling system. This year, Wimbledon replaced human line judges with technology, but during a crucial point at 4-all in the first set, the system was turned off by mistake. Since the tournament also removed the previous challenge system that allowed players to review calls, the chair umpire decided to replay the point instead of awarding it to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who should have won the game.
Pavlyuchenkova ended up losing that game and falling behind to Britain’s Sonay Kartal, but she eventually rallied to win the match 7-6 (3), 6-4 and secure her spot in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2016.
At the changeover, Pavlyuchenkova voiced her frustration to chair umpire Nico Helwerth, telling him, “You took the game away from me.” She also implied that the decision may have been influenced by favoritism toward Kartal, a British player.
Later, in her press conference, Pavlyuchenkova said Helwerth admitted to her after the match that he believed Kartal’s shot was out. “I think he felt bad,” she said. “He probably thought he should have stepped in and made the call himself.” She also suggested that perhaps he was too nervous to make such a big decision.
On the disputed point, Pavlyuchenkova was serving and had game point when Kartal hit a backhand that clearly went past the baseline, as shown on TV replays. But because the electronic system didn’t call the ball out, there was no signal. Wimbledon’s system now uses pre-recorded voices to indicate whether a ball is in or out — and nothing played in this case.
Despite the frustration, Pavlyuchenkova managed to find humor later. Asked how she would’ve reacted if she lost the match, she laughed and said, “I would just say that I hate Wimbledon and never come back.” She also joked that umpires are quick to hand out fines and code violations but could be more attentive to incorrect calls.
Kartal said she didn’t see where her shot landed and acknowledged the situation was unusual. “It’s rare. I don’t think this really happens — if ever,” she said. “The system just glitched a bit. I think the umpire handled it fairly by replaying the point.”
Helwerth briefly paused the match to make a phone call before deciding to replay the point. Pavlyuchenkova missed a forehand on the replay and lost the game shortly after.
A spokesperson from the All England Club later explained that the error occurred because the system had been accidentally turned off by an operator. The umpire, they said, followed standard procedures.
Wimbledon had used a challenge system since 2007, which allowed players to contest line calls using video review. That system was removed this year in favor of relying fully on electronic line calling. The French Open is now the only Grand Slam that still uses human line judges.
After the incident, some fans and players called for Wimbledon to consider reinstating some form of video challenge system. Pavlyuchenkova agreed, saying there should be a better way to ensure correct decisions.
Taylor Fritz, who won his match elsewhere on Sunday, hadn’t seen the incident but questioned why the umpire didn’t simply make the call himself. “If the ball was clearly out, the chair umpire has to make the call,” said the 2024 U.S. Open finalist. “Why is he even there if he’s not going to call the ball?”
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