This year’s Wimbledon Championships have so far survived the cull of the world’s most prestigious sporting events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it seems only a matter of time before they are postponed or canceled.
With London in its first week of lockdown, All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) officials are weighing up their limited options.
The “build” for the June 29 to July 12 championships is supposed to start in little more than a month, but it seems increasingly likely that Wimbledon will be forced to miss a year for the first time since 1945.
Photo: Reuters
“The AELTC has been contingency planning since January, working closely with the UK government and public health authorities to follow their advice and understand the likely impact of COVID-19 and the government’s emergency measures on the championships, and our thoughts are with all those affected by this crisis at this time,” the club said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Based on the advice we have received from the public health authorities, the very short window available to us to stage the championships due to the nature of our surface suggests that postponement is not without significant risk and difficulty,” the club said.
Playing behind closed doors was not an option, it added.
The Australian Open, the year’s first Grand Slam, was completed before the coronavirus crisis exploded to virtually shut down world sport, including the men’s ATP Tour and women’s WTA Tour.
The French Open last week made the decision to move the clay-court tournament from its May start to Sept. 20 to Oct. 4 because of the outbreak.
While the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday potentially opened a two-week slot in the calendar in July and August, it would appear unlikely Wimbledon would use it.
Switching to a later time in the year is even less likely, as Wimbledon has only two covered courts and elite outdoor grass-court tennis is not feasible past late summer.
AELTC officials said that they were communicating closely with the Lawn Tennis Association, as well as with the ATP, WTA, International Tennis Federation and the other Grand Slams.
However, a cancelation looks increasingly likely.
“The unprecedented challenge presented by the COVID-19 crisis continues to affect our way of life in ways that we could not have imagined,” AELTC chief executive Richard Lewis said.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected in the UK and around the world. The single most important consideration is one of public health, and we are determined to act responsibly through the decisions we make,” he added.
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