The Wimbledon 2020 Grand Slam events have been officially canceled this year due to the Coronavirus. This decision comes after the All England Club (AELTC) closely monitored the current situation in the UK, as the country has been hit by the coronavirus very badly.
One of the four major Grand Slam Events, it is the first time that a Grand Slam Event has been canceled since World War II in 1945 and also the first time since 1877 that the event won’t take place during the peacetime.
“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,” said Ian Hewitt, All England Lawn Tennis Club chairman.
The Wimbledon was scheduled to take place between June 29-July 12 this year but now it has been called off due to the Coronavirus. The French Open is another Tennis event that has been affected by the ongoing pandemic as it has been shifted to the September window, two weeks after the US Open. The tournament will now be played between 20 September-4 October.
The All England Club had to take a call now because the preparation for the event takes at least two months but owing to the current lockdown announced by the government, it was virtually impossible to hold the tournament.
In addition to that, the ATP and WTA also announced that all the tennis events shall not take place until July 13, especially the ones having the grass-court season. This decision was welcomed by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
Playing the tournament behind closed doors without the spectators was already not on the tables for the Federation so was making sure the public health is not at risk.
The current situation in the UK is not good as more than 29,000 cases have been confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported so far with over 2352 deaths and 139 recovered so far.
