The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) has confirmed that this year’s Wimbledon has been cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 virus. To date, only the two World Wars have prevented the globe’s oldest tennis tournament from taking place.
The Wimbledon tournament was founded in 1877.
The Championships was due to be hosted from June 29, for a duration of two weeks. According to AELTC, the body charged with running the tournament, the decision was made “due to public health concerns linked to the coronavirus epidemic”.
“We believe, given the measure of this global crisis, that it is ultimately the right decision to cancel The Championships 2020 and instead concentrate on how we can use the breadth of our resources to help those in our local communities and beyond,” said Ian Hewitt, AELTC Chairman.