In addition to tackling the unprecedented hot weather, something else Wimbledon had to get used to this past week is that for the first time there are no line judges. Breaking a very long tradition they have been replaced by electronic devices, a true sign of the times.
Many ATP and WTA tournaments have dropped human line judges over the years with the only major Grand Slam exception being at Roland Garros in France.
To a certain extent the line judges will be missed as they sometimes added some colour when games got a bit boring. The officials were all shapes and sizes and each one had their own idiosyncratic way of shouting "fault" or "out".
Understandably, considering the speed at which the game is played these days, on occasions their calls were incorrect and they would have to face the wrath of the players. Even worse, after a dodgy call the television cameras would zoom in on the offending official who would bravely maintain a stoic face. It must have been a most uncomfortable experience.
Judging from the opening week at Wimbledon the players and spectators seem to have accepted the new technology as long as the calls are correct.
Throughout the years disputes over line calls have sparked some of the most entertaining moments at Wimbledon.
It will come as no surprise that the most remembered incident features John McEnroe who loved disputing calls with what he thought were incompetent officials. In 1981 when his serve landed on the centre line but was called out by the line judge, McEnroe was not impressed, especially when the ruling was supported by the umpire. It led to his famous outburst "You cannot be serious! That ball was on the line. Chalk flew up."
It was all very embarrassing but McEnroe went on to win the match.
Another American with a short fuse was Jeff Tarango who in 1995 was upset after what he thought was an ace was called out. He got madder and madder and eventually stormed off the court calling the umpire "corrupt". Adding spice to the situation was his wife Benedicte who in true "stand by your man" fashion later slapped the umpire in the face.
More recently a player who has had regular run-ins with officials is Australia's Nick Kyrgios. A talented player, he has been unfortunately prone to outbursts on court. In 2022 he was furious after a female line judge reported him to the umpire for swearing. He went on to loudly berate the umpire and called the line judge a "snitch".
The most amusing incident occurred back in 1964 when line judge Dorothy Cavis-Brown dozed off just before the end of a match. Her condition only came to light when there was no response from her when a ball was clearly out. TV cameras showed her slumped in her chair fast asleep prompting much laughter from spectators. A ball-boy unsuccessfully tried to wake her up by prodding her, prompting more laughs.
It turned out she had attended a lunchtime cocktail party for officials and apparently overdid the gin and tonics. The party has since been sensibly moved to the evening.
The following day the photograph of her slumped in her seat made the front page of every London newspaper. Now that's a scene we won't be seeing at this year's Wimbledon.