The 2020 Championships at Wimbledon have now been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, which is disrupting many activities globally, including sports.
It is with great regret that the AELTC has today decided that The Championships 2020 will be cancelled due to public health concerns linked to the coronavirus epidemic.
The 134th Championships will instead be staged from 28 June to 11 July 2021.https://t.co/c0QV2ymGAt
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) April 1, 2020
The Grand Slam tennis tournament was scheduled to be held from Monday, June 29 to Sunday, July 12. This will be the 134th tournament. However, it will now be held in 2021, from June 28 to July 11.
The chairman of the Main Board of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Ian Hewitt, made a statement.
He said, “this is a decision that we have not taken lightly, and we have done so with the highest regard for public health and the wellbeing of all those who come together to make Wimbledon happen.”
In addition, Ian wrote that only the World War previously interrupted the Championships.
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However, after extensive consideration of all scenarios, they ( Wimbledon organizers) believed that the coronavirus is a measure of global crisis. And canceling this year’s tournament is the right decision.
He then added that they would concentrate on using the breadth of Wimbledon’s resources to help those in the local communities and beyond.
Wimbledon to Refund Tickets Buyers
According to Wimbledon’s website, everyone that paid for tickets in the Wimbledon Public Ballot will get their money back. However, they have a chance to buy the Championships ticket in 2021.
Meanwhile, officials also postponed the French Open, which is the second Grand Slam of four in a season.
Ideally, it should start on May 24, but it was postponed in March until September 20.
Moreover, a release came that some tennis stadiums will now function as makeshift hospitals. This includes the stadiums, the host U.S. Open, and the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. The Elmhurst Hospital will provide 350 beds for non-ICU patients.
Furthermore, the center’s chief operating officer, Daniel Zausner, also made a statement. He said, “we will continue to play every single day as if the U.S. Open will hold, and hopefully we’ll be in a position five months from today to see players actually practicing on the court’s right behind us and playing at Arthur Ashe Stadium.”
An update on the 2020 US Open: pic.twitter.com/RWERrYUrky
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) April 1, 2020
Meanwhile, the USTA tweeted that they understand the unique situation of all England Lawn and Tennis Club and the reasoning for the decision to cancel the 2020 Wimbledon Championships.
