Novak Djokovic's incident overshadowed the tennis' return to clay but the Monte-Carlo Masters want to keep the human linesmen.
Since it's possible to see marks on the clay, some tournaments on the ATP Tour elect to still use humans instead of technology. However, that can sometimes prove to be costly as the world no. 1 Djokovic experienced in his match against Lorenzo Musetti.
Yet, the event's organizers emphasize the importance of giving priority to humans and express their satisfaction with the current system. While other tournaments have adopted technologies like Foxtenn to reduce errors, Monte-Carlo Masters officials are open to studying such innovations for future considerations, but maintain their stance on preserving tradition and human involvement in the sport.
"We want to give priority to humans. I know ATP always wants to find the best system to avoid errors. On clay you can see the mark."
The Djokovic incident has reignited the debate on the role of technology in tennis officiating, with some arguing for the widespread adoption of automated systems to ensure accuracy and fairness. Nonetheless, the Monte-Carlo Masters has chosen to remain steadfast in its support of human linesmen, who have been an integral part of the tournament's history and charm.
Monte-Carlo Masters' organizers are aware of the potential imposition of technological advancements by the ATP in the future, but they are willing to wait and observe the impact of such systems on other tournaments before making any decisions.
They acknowledge the ATP's efforts in finding the best solutions to minimize errors, but believe that the unique nature of clay courts, where the ball's mark is visible, provides a strong argument for the continued reliance on human linesmen.
"I know Madrid has been using Foxtenn for a long time. We are going to watch this and study this for the future. ATP might even impose this on us in the future, but for the time being, we are waiting and we are very satisfied with our human linesmen."
The main point of the tournament director's press conference was mostly the success of the tournament. Over 140,000 spectators visited the tournament this year and for Massey and the Monte-Carlo Country Club, it's a massive success.
"We had a record year for this tournament, more than 140,000 spectators. We don't have the final figure, of course, because we are waiting for the results of today, but we are very pleased with this result. It's true for all sectors. If you look at the train arrivals in 2017, it was 22,000, and it was more than 23,000 yesterday."
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