Line judges are set to be phased out of ATP events by 2025 in favour of ELC Live technology ©Getty Images

The men's Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour plans to fully replace line judges with the Electronic Line Calling (ELC) Live technology to determine all outs by 2025.

ELC Live was first trialled at the ATP Finals in Milan in 2017, and has been made available on a voluntary basis for all events on the Tour in recent years, featuring at the Australian Open and US Open hard court Grand Slams.

It has featured increasingly on the Tour since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Multiple suppliers are approved to provide ELC Live technology on hard court and grass, with final testing underway for clay surfaces.

Several suppliers are expected to be approved across all court surfaces from 2025.

The ATP said it had taken the decision to move away from line judges in a bid to "optimise accuracy and consistency across tournaments, match courts and surfaces".

It claimed that this was supported by its "extensive research".

Electronic line calling is already used at the Australian Open and US Open Grand Slams in tennis, but not at Wimbledon or the French Open  ©Getty Images
Electronic line calling is already used at the Australian Open and US Open Grand Slams in tennis, but not at Wimbledon or the French Open ©Getty Images

ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi underlined the significance of the move.

"This is a landmark moment for our sport, and not one we’ve reached without careful consideration," the Italian official said.

"Tradition is core to tennis and line judges have played an important part in the game over the years.

"That said, we have a responsibility to embrace innovation and new technologies.

"Our sport deserves the most accurate form of officiating and we’re delighted to be able to deliver this across our whole Tour from 2025."

This move would be implemented across the ATP Tour, although the Grand Slams would continue to make their own decisions.

While the two hard court Grand Slams have shifted away from line judges to the ELC Live technology, organisers of the grass-court Wimbledon and clay-court French Open tournaments have been reluctant to follow suit.

A Hawk-Eye system allowing players to challenge calls is in place at Wimbledon.