Wimbledon could be postponed or cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic: AELTC

LONDON: This year's Wimbledon Championships could be postponed or cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the

All England Lawn Tennis Club

(AELT) said on Wednesday.


The June 29-July 12 event will not be played behind closed doors and postponing the only Grand Slam grasscourt event until later in the year "is not without significant risk and difficulty", the

AELTC

said in a statement.

"The unprecedented challenge presented by the

Covid-19

crisis continues to affect our way of life in ways that we could not have imagined, and our thoughts are with all those affected in the UK and around the world," chief executive Richard Lewis said.

"The single most important consideration is one of public health, and we are determined to act responsibly through the decisions we make.

"We are working hard to bring certainty to our plans for 2020 and have convened an emergency meeting of the main board for next week, at which a decision will be made."