Wimbledon Boosts Prize Pool, Electronic Line Calling To Replace Line Judges; Check Details

The All England Club has announced a 7% increase in the total prize fund for this year’s Wimbledon, after the players demanded significant improvements in the prize money at the four grand slams as a way to ensure a more equitable distribution of revenue. The Wimbledon will start on June 30 and end on July 13.

This year, both the men’s and women’s singles champions will take home £3 million each. Meanwhile, players exiting in the opening round will receive £66,000up 10% from last year. Prize money for doubles events has gone up by 4.4%, mixed doubles by 4.3%, and wheelchair and quad wheelchair categories have seen a 5.6% rise.

“We’ve had meaningful dialogue with the players and taken their feedback seriously,” said Deborah Jevans, chair of the All England Club.

No more line judges

Besides prize money, Wimbledon is also set to make a historic shift by retiring on-court line judges in favor of fully electronic line calling. The decision aligns with a trend already in place at numerous other tournaments around the world.

AELTC chief executive Sally Bolton said, "They're extra eyes and ears, the assistant to the chair umpire... We've got about 80 of those across the Championships.They'll also provide one of the parts of our resilience in the event that the electronic line calling system goes down at any point in time," 

Final weekend to witness changes in timings

In another significant update, the tournament is adjusting its final weekend schedule. The doubles finals will begin at 1 p.m. local time, with the singles finals pushed to 4 p.m. This move could lead to more evening finishes, raising the likelihood of matches concluding under the roof and artificial lighting.

AELTC CEO Sally Bolton emphasised that the scheduling change is designed to enhance the overall experience for fans and players alike, noting the potential for longer matches, as seen in the recent French Open final which lasted nearly five and a half hours.