[ad_1]
Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a forehand during their men’s singles fourth round match against Karen … [+]
Tennis player Novak Djokovic has suggested that the sport dispense with human line judges and replace them with technology.
The current world’s No. 1 male player made the remarks at the French Open after his fourth-round straight-sets win over Karen Khachanov, during which he accidentally hit the ball in the face of a linesman while returning a serve.
Normally this would be considered an unfortunate but uncomplicated tennis incident. However, it came just weeks after the Serb was expelled from the US Open for inadvertently hitting a ball to the throat of a linesman in New York.
Djokovic’s vision on technology
There was no risk of similar action being taken against Djokovic in Paris (the ball was in play and it was regarded as “one of those things”), but he was inevitably asked about the event after the match. He raised concerns for the judge’s well-being before offering an idea that would prevent a repeat: ditch the linesmen and replace them with technology.
Djokovic’s profile means that he is a fixture on the exhibition courts at major tournaments, but had he been on an outside court at the US Open, the chances of him hitting would have been reduced enough since the distancing measures social media meant that line calls were made using Hawk-Eye Live.
The same technology is used to power the now familiar player challenge system, except in this case, all line calls are automated.
So Djokovic asks, why can’t it be used whenever possible?
“With all my respect for the tradition and culture that we have in this sport, when it comes to people present on the court during a match, including the line (judges), I really don’t see a reason why all the tournaments in this The world, in this technologically advanced age, would not have what we had during the Cincinnati / New York tournaments, “he said.
“The technology is so advanced right now, there is absolutely no reason why you should keep the linesmen on the court. That’s my opinion, “added Djokovic.” Of course, I understand that technology is expensive, so it is an economic problem and a question mark. But I feel like we are all moving towards that, and sooner or later there is no reason to keep the line referees. “
Can technology replace humans?
The leading men’s tennis organization, ATP, has used robocalls in the Next Gen Series tournament for promising players under the age of 21 and has deemed the venture a success. However, it is only the Coronavirus pandemic that has prompted the organization to allow its use in other tournaments.
However, there are several considerations that could limit its wider deployment. Cost, as Djokovic pointed out, is prohibitive for some levels of the game, but the cost of technology is likely to come down and the cost could be offset by reduced personnel costs.
At the elite level, accuracy is probably the biggest concern. Hawk-Eye has managed to convince officials and players (mostly) that it is trustworthy through the player review system. However, it is worth noting that all decisions have a human element before they are reviewed.
Arguably the biggest implication for sport is culture. If the sport no longer requires linesmen, how will future officials gain the experience of making big decisions in front of thousands of fans and two potentially fighting players?
It’s a topic that’s been raised many times before, and one that I asked ATP president referee Ali Nili, who led the 2015 Wimbledon Men’s Singles Finals and 2016 U.S. Open, at the World Tour Finals in 2018.
“If you have a technology that eliminates bad calls, that’s great,” he said.
“But another way of thinking is that tennis is an industry and [automation is] a significant change. How are we going to create a new generation of referees? I started as a linesman; How will young referees get a chance? “
