French Open to Retain Human Line Judges for 2026 Citing Clay-Court Technology Limitations

The French Open announced Monday that it will continue using human line officials rather than electronic line-calling for the 2026 tournament. French Open director Amelie Mauresmo told journalists the decision followed observations from earlier clay-court events where the electronic system showed inconsistent results.

She said the technology is not 100 percent reliable on clay courts that change with weather conditions.

Casper Ruud lost to Joao Fonseca in the fourth round on Sunday evening by a score of 7-5, 7-6 (8), 5-7, 6-2. Ruud is a two-time runner-up at Roland Garros. 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. Television replays using electronic line-calling showed the ball was out. Mauresmo said she observed Ruud's reaction after the call and noted he did not appear shocked by the decision.

She added that the tournament has received no significant player feedback requesting electronic line-calling. "What we observed at the clay-court tournaments leading up to Roland Garros is that the reliability of this system is not absolute," Mauresmo said. " Wimbledon replaced line judges with electronic line-calling last year.

The French Open is now the only major tournament without some form of electronic line-calling. The US Open has eliminated line judges and uses only chair umpires. The WTA and ATP have introduced machine-generated rulings for events on red clay, though Grand Slam tournaments set their own policies.

Mauresmo said a review of the technology will occur after this year's event. "For us today, what matters is reaffirming our trust in human officials," she said. "We've made that choice for 2026.