For the first time in 148 years, Wimbledon fans won't be seeing line judges at the prestigious tournament at the All England Club.
They have long been synonymous with the competition. With their smart attire, they've become a staple over the past century and a half.
However, this year, Wimbledon is getting rid of line judges. Instead, electronic line calling [ELC] will be used after successful testing 12 months ago.
This decision was announced back in October. It was a decision that sparked backlash but tournament organisers have stuck to their guns as they look to modernise the sport.
For the first time in 148 years, Wimbledon fans won't be seeing line judges at the prestigious tournament at the All England Club
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Sally Bolton, the chief executive of the All England Club, explained the call by saying: “Having reviewed the results of the testing undertaken at The Championships this year, we consider the technology to be sufficiently robust and the time is right to take this important step in seeking maximum accuracy in our officiating.
“For the players, it will offer them the same conditions they have played under at a number of other events on tour.
“We take our responsibility to balance tradition and innovation at Wimbledon very seriously.
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"Line umpires have played a central role in our officiating set-up at The Championships for many decades and we recognise their valuable contribution and thank them for their commitment and service.”
Wimbledon has now opted to follow in the footsteps of other Grand Slams.
The Australian Open was the first tournament to get rid of line judges in 2021, while the US Open followed suit 12 months later.
Wimbledon will get rid of the Hawk-Eye system at this year's Championships
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The introduction of ELC also means that the Hawk-Eye system, which has often added to the drama, is also now a thing of the past.
It was first used in 2007, with Roger Federer beating Rafael Nadal in an epic final that year.
Yet Paul Hawkins, who invented the technology, has told the BBC that he thinks it's time for the sport to move on.
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"When it was new, there was certainly more excitement – people kind of got into it," he said.
"It got to the point where there was a little bit of a case of 'we've been there, we've had that joke, let's just get on with the tennis' and obviously doing away with the challenge system does mean you can get on with the game a bit quicker."
It is also worth noting that, of the 300 line judges who have been cut, not all of them will be out of work.
A number of them, 80 to be precise, will be working as 'match assistants' during fixtures this year.
Wimbledon still need umpires for the time being
GETTYThey will effectively be on standby should the ECL technology fail, while they'll also be given the role of escorting players off the court if needed.
Some pundits, such as John McEnroe, have suggested that umpires could be the next to go. But former line judge Thomas Sweeney can't see that happening just yet.
"There will always be that need to have a human to facilitate at the end of where technology has its limitations," Sweeney said.
"There are aspects to life that can't be prepared for, and you need that human to be able to absorb pressure, provide the opportunity for understanding and empathy for a player, and to be able to help, guide and govern how the court itself operates."
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