The Parisian tournament remains faithful to tradition and rejects the new electronic call system, the so -called Electronic Line Calling (ELC), already adopted by the other Grand Slam
Everywhere, but not in Paris. Roland Garros remains a “human” oasis, faithful to its rites and traditions, and does not bend to the technology that now governs all Slam tournaments, and not only those. The French Tennis Federation has, in fact, announced that the traditional line judges will remain on the field in the 2026 edition of the Parisian tournament: they are a sign of belonging for the main tournament of the circuit on beaten earth and continuity with the past. The decision, voted by the Federal Committee on September 26 and made official with a released press release yesterday, was accompanied by a certain pride for “the excellence of French arbitrapers”. One fact would seem to confirm it: in the last edition of Roland Garros, 404 tender officers worked in total, of which 284 coming from France. The dates are already set, in Paris it is played from 18 May to 7 June 2026, and this choice makes the Roland Garros UNICUM among the four Grand Slam tournaments. Australian Open, Wimbledon and Us Open have already definitively adopted the electronic call system, the so -called Electronic Line Calling (ELC).
Three levels: Gold, Silver and Bronze
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Last to fall was the sacred grass of London who, from this 2025, definitively greeted the judges on the sidelines: it was an epochal choice, which made it discuss because for someone it was an inevitable sign of progress, while for others a serious loss of identity and atmosphere. In the meantime, in the summer the ITF, the international federation, has introduced a three -level classification (Gold, Silver, bronze) to expand access to ELC all over the world of tennis and monitor the various standards of accuracy and reliability: the goal is to guarantee greater precision, especially after controversies born from controversial decisions due to the same eye of Falco. In detail, Gold systems are intended for international elite level competitions, such as Slam, WTA and ATP tournaments, Billie Jean King Cup and the Davis Cup. Silver in second -level international competitions, such as the ITF World Tennis Tour, and the bronze in competitions at national level.
Between controversy and romantic choices
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The ELC system was used for the first time as an experiment at the Next Gen Atp Finals in Milan in 2017, before being adopted more widely during the Covid pandemic. Faced with an instrument now tested for years and become commonly used, where then this French resistance is born then? On the Parisian red earth it is possible to discreet precision with the sign left by the ball, and this is considered as a further guarantee element compared to technology. Among other things, the electronic system has been the subject of large controversies this year, due to malfunctions and erroneous calls, both in Wimbledon and during the clay in batted land in Madrid and Stuttgart. In addition, there is a strong identity question: in Paris it is considered a priority to maintain the language and rites of the home tournament, starting from the direct dialogue between players and referees. Behind this “romantic” choice, which rewards the French referee school, there are also economic and strategic considerations. In fact, the installation of electronic systems requires heavy investments and continuous audits and in France they prefer to take another year to evaluate technological developments and any repercussions. In short, before dispersing the human capital of the French refereeing nursery you will think about it. Meanwhile, between tradition and prudence, Roland Garros is already preparing for 2026 knowing that on the fields of the Bois de Boulogne, at least for another edition, the “out” cry will be part of the soundtrack.
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