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Wimbledon considering cancelling the 2020 Championships

The organisers of the Wimbledon tennis championships are to discuss the fate of this summer's com...



Wimbledon considering cancelli...
Other Sports

Wimbledon considering cancelling the 2020 Championships

The organisers of the Wimbledon tennis championships are to discuss the fate of this summer's competitions at an emergency meeting next week. 

The coronavirus pandemic has already seen the French Open at Roland Garros pushed back to the autumn, while both the men's ATP and women's WTA Tours have been suspended until through to the beginning of the grass court season on June 7.

The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) say they've been working on contingency plans since January in consultation with the UK government and public health authorities in relation to COVID-19's potential impact on action at SW19.

Wimbledon is due to get underway on June 29 and runs until July 12.

An emergency meeting of the AELTC Main Board will likely decide the next course of action.

The AELTC say they're considering all options including the postponing or cancellation of the Championships, but they've ruled out playing behind closed doors.

Only World Wars I and II have previously caused Wimbledon to be cancelled, and 2020 is to see the 134th edition of the Championships played in the famous South London grounds.

AELTC Chief Executive Richard Lewis wrote, "The unprecedented challenge presented by the COVID-19 crisis continues to affect our way of life in ways that we could not have imagined, and 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.

"We are working hard to bring certainty to our plans for 2020 and have convened an emergency meeting of the AELTC Main Board for next week, at which a decision will be made."

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AELTC ATP Tour French Open Roland Garros WTA Tour Wimbledon