French Open Declines Electronic Line-Calling for Now After Disputed Call in Ruud-Fonseca Match

The French Open announced Monday that it has no immediate plans to adopt electronic line-calling, citing concerns over the technology's reliability on clay courts. French Open director Amelie Mauresmo told journalists the decision follows observations at clay-court events leading up to Roland Garros.

"What we observed at the clay-court tournaments leading up to Roland Garros is that the reliability of this system is not absolute," she said.

The announcement came one day after a disputed line call during Casper Ruud's fourth-round loss to Joao Fonseca. Ruud, a two-time runner-up in Paris, lost the match 7-5, 7-6 (8), 5-7, 6-2 on Sunday evening. During the second-set tiebreaker, with Ruud leading 8-7, a spectator shouted that Fonseca's forehand down the line had landed out.

The chair umpire checked the mark and ruled the shot in, giving Fonseca the point. Electronic line-calling shown on television indicated the ball was out. Mauresmo said many players recognize the challenges of using the system on clay, a surface that changes with weather conditions.

"So we have received no real feedback pushing us in that direction," she said. She added that a review will be made after the tournament. "For us today, what matters is reaffirming our trust in human officials," Mauresmo said.

"We've made that choice for 2026. " Wimbledon replaced line judges with electronic line-calling last year, leaving the French Open as the only major without some form of the technology. The WTA and ATP have introduced machine-generated rulings for events on red clay, though Grand Slam hosts retain discretion over their own systems.

Mauresmo noted that disputes over marks are not rare at Roland Garros. She said Ruud's reaction after the call suggested he was not shocked by the decision.