Tim Henman may no longer be an active player, but the former world number four is still a very prominent figure in tennis giving his verdicts as a pundit.
Henman is once again part of a punditry team at the Australian Open, and has been making his predictions for the first major tournament of 2025.
The former Wimbledon semi-finalist does not believe that Jannik Sinner will defend his title, with Henman backing Novak Djokovic and Qinwen Zheng to win the Australian Open.
Zheng is not the only player that he thinks will win their maiden Grand Slam title in 2025, with Henman also picking Alexander Zverev to claim his first major.
Tim Henman explains why Wimbledon are using electronic line calling
Last year, Wimbledon announced that they would be using electronic line calling for the 2025 tournament.
The Championships will be following both the Australian Open and US Open, with line judges no longer being used.
This change has prompted a strong reaction, but Henman who is a member of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) board, has backed the decision when speaking on Eurosport.
“I think at Wimbledon we are all about history and tradition but also innovation. With the technology that is there, it’s become expected from the players to have the best.
“I understand that line judges have been part of the tradition at Wimbledon for so long that it’s not an easy job calling the lines when the ball is travelling at 140mph. I am sure it will look a little bit different this year at the Championships, but I am sure it is the right direction of travel.
“One thing we have to be aware of is where do the umpires come from, because there is a career pathway as you start off as a line judge and you think about referees for junior tournaments. We have to be aware of that ecosystem and we certainly still need the umpires themselves.”
How did people react to Wimbledon removing line judges?
When the change was announced back in October, fans flooded to social media to voice their opinions on the decision.
Many of those were in disagreement with Wimbledon’s decision, pointing out that line judges had been part of the prestigious event for 147 years.
“What’s next, AI umpire? AI players?” one person said on X (formerly known as Twitter). “Wimbledon, some traditions are worth standing apart for, especially when Hawkeye is in operation to cover the less than 10% error rate in line judging.”
This controversial change will come into play later this year, when the 2025 Wimbledon Championships gets underway on Monday 30th June.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
