Pavlyuchenkova’s Wimbledon Drama: When Technology Fails at the Biggest Stage
So let’s talk about what just unfolded at Wimbledon 2025 — and it’s nothing short of controversial. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the seasoned Russian star, found herself at the center of a tech failure that almost changed the momentum of a high-stakes match. In her fourth-round clash against Britain's Sonay Kartal, an electronic line-calling malfunction led to what Pavlyuchenkova herself described as a “stolen” game.
Here’s the thing — Wimbledon has, for the first time this year, fully embraced electronic line-calling, eliminating human line judges. But during one critical game on Centre Court, the system was accidentally turned off on one side of the court. And not just for a single point — for an entire game. That’s three missed calls. One of those missed calls? A clear backhand from Kartal that went long. Pavlyuchenkova, seeing it clearly out, stopped mid-rally. But there was no call. Chair umpire Nico Helwerth paused play, checked in, and then declared the point would be replayed because the system didn’t pick it up. Kartal won that point and went on to break for a 5-4 lead.
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Pavlyuchenkova didn’t mince her words. She told the umpire flat-out, “You took the game away from me… they stole it.” And honestly, she had a point. Even Helwerth admitted after the match that he saw it was out. So why didn’t he just call it? Former players like Pat Cash are baffled too. The rulebook allows the umpire to step in when the system fails, especially in point-ending moments. But that didn’t happen here.
Wimbledon’s organisers issued an apology, calling it “human error” and promising process reviews. But can you really undo the impact of a game lost in a Grand Slam due to technical glitches? Yes, Pavlyuchenkova eventually won the match, but she made it clear — the experience was frustrating, and it’s part of a bigger issue players have been raising all tournament. Emma Raducanu, Belinda Bencic, and others have already said they don’t fully trust the system. Even Iga Świątek admitted she’s had her doubts.
Pavlyuchenkova took it a step further, saying maybe it’s time for tennis to bring in video replays — like VAR in football — or rethink removing line judges altogether. Because right now, there’s no challenge system, no replay, just a blind trust in technology that clearly isn’t flawless.
At the end of the day, it wasn’t just about one point — it was about the integrity of the sport. Pavlyuchenkova showed incredible mental strength to regroup and win the match, but the question remains: if this had happened to a less experienced player, would the outcome have been the same?
Wimbledon is about tradition, precision, and fairness. But when tech errors like this creep in, it shakes players' trust — and fans' confidence — in the system. If anything, this moment should spark real conversations about how we integrate technology into the game without letting it overshadow the very human essence of sport.
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