On Wednesday, the Main Board of the All England Club (AELTC) and the Committee of Management of the Wimbledon Championships, announced that the 134th Wimbledon Championships 2020 has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and concern for public health.
The games are now scheduled between 28 June and 11 July 2021.
The announcement statement read, “Uppermost in our mind has been the health and safety of all of those who come together to make Wimbledon happen…as well as our broader responsibility to society’s efforts to tackle this global challenge to our way of life.”
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the committees have followed the UK Government and public health authorities’ guidance with regards to the year-round operations and understanding the trajectory of the outbreak in the UK.
“This has enabled analysis of the impact of the Government restrictions on the usual commencement in April of the significant preparations required to stage The Championships, either on the original date of 29 June or at a later date in the summer of 2020.”
Spectators who bought tickets in the Wimbledon Public Ballot for this year’s Championships will be refunded and will be given a chance to buy tickets for the same day and court for the 2021 Championships. The committees will be in contact with all ticket-holders.
Richard Lewis CBE, the AELTC Chief Executive said, “…I would like to thank all those who love Wimbledon for their understanding of these unique and unquestionably challenging circumstances. It is your passion for The Championships that has shaped our event over the years, and will continue to do so, and we look forward to preparing a fantastic Championships for 2021.”
The focus will now be on assisting with emergency response and helping those who are affected by the coronavirus. The committees have already started distributing medical equipment. They have also offered their facilities to the National Health Services (NHS) and to the London Resilience Partnership, who is a group of agencies that help fight the battle against coronavirus.
The announcement concluded stating, “Our charity, the Wimbledon Foundation, is offering funding support to our local communities through our partnership with the London Community Foundation, and more broadly for the London and UK population through our partnership with the British Red Cross, the Foundation’s emergency response charity.”
