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LONDON. — A series of emergency meetings is under way to decide whether Wimbledon tennis tournament can go ahead this year.
The All England Club says a final decision is yet to be made, but the cancellation of the Championships for the first time since the Second World War now seems inevitable.
The All England Club is holding an emergency board meeting today to discuss the fate of the 2020 Championships, with a cancellation widely expected to be agreed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Wimbledon Championships are due to run for two weeks from June 29.
The French Open has already been pushed back four months to late September because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I guess everyone’s been waiting on it,” Britain’s seven time Grand Slam doubles champion Jamie Murray told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“It’s obviously the next big event in the tennis calendar that’s still on the calendar for the moment.”
BBC Sport understands a decision to abandon this year’s grass court season is likely be made in conjunction with three governing bodies – the Lawn Tennis Association, the Association of Tennis Professionals and the Women’s Tennis Association – within the next 48 hours.
The All England Club admitted last week that a postponement would not be “without significant risk and difficulty,” and Murray says there are many practical reasons for that.
“I think for them, it’s difficult to move the tournament back because you’re running into other tournaments that are for the moment still on the schedule,” he explained.
“And also just things like daylight to host the event. Each week that passes, you get less and less light to play the tournament. And obviously they play until nine and 10 o’clock each night at Wimbledon.”
The All England Club is confident it will be able to refund ticket and debenture holders through the insurance policies it has in place. But tennis will be denied its annual chance to showcase the sport in the UK, and to encourage people to take to the courts. — BBC Sport.
Online Reporter