The Championships, the official name of the tennis Grand Slam known around the world as Wimbledon, will not be held in 2020.
“It is with great regret that the Main Board of the All England Club (AELTC) and the Committee of Management of The Championships have today decided that The Championships 2020 will be cancelled due to public health concerns linked to the coronavirus epidemic,” the All England Tennis Club announced Wednesday. “The 134th Championships will instead be staged from 28 June to 11 July 2021.”
Organizers expect Britain’s measures to combat the spread of the virus for many months. The supplies and services needed to put on the tournament would not be available at any other point in the summer, ruling out a postponement until later in the year, organizers said.
Also on Wednesday, the ATP Tour announced that the suspension of the ATP and WTA tours would continue until July 13, the day after Wimbledon was supposed to end. The tennis competition at the Olympics was scheduled to start July 24.
The French Open has been postponed until late September. The USTA said Wednesday that the U.S. Open is still expected to be held on its scheduled time frame of Aug. 24 to Sept. 13.
Wimbledon started in 1877 has been held every year except during World War I and World War II.
Roger Federer, who has been dealing with a right knee injury that would have kept him out of action for the next couple of months even if tournaments were going forward, reacted with one simple word: “Devastated.”
Devastated https://t.co/Fg2c1EuTQY pic.twitter.com/cm1wE2VwIp
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) April 1, 2020
Federer has not yet announced his retirement despite some April Fools Day-inspired pieces around the Internet on Wednesday.
Defending women’s champion Simona Halep was quick to share her thoughts as well: "(W)e are going through something bigger than tennis and Wimbledon will be back!”
So sad to hear @Wimbledon won’t take place this year. Last year’s final will forever be one of the happiest days of my life! But we are going through something bigger than tennis and Wimbledon will be back! And it means I have even longer to look forward to defending my title 🤗 pic.twitter.com/PmppwUuKtD
— Simona Halep (@Simona_Halep) April 1, 2020
OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!
