All England Lawn Tennis Club board to hold emergency board meeting next week; idea of playing behind closed doors ruled out
Thursday 26 March 2020 10:31, UK
The All England Lawn Tennis Club could postpone or cancel this year's Wimbledon Championships due to the coronavirus pandemic.
An emergency meeting of the AELTC board is scheduled for next week where a decision is expected to be made.
Pressure has been growing on organisers to make a decision, with Wimbledon one of the biggest events still remaining on the calendar for June 29 to July 12.
Organisers admit that postponement is not without significant risk and difficulty due to the nature of the grass-court surface while the idea of playing behind closed doors has been ruled out.
We are working hard to bring certainty to our plans for 2020 and have convened an emergency meeting of the AELTC main board for next week, at which a decision will be made.
Wimbledon chief executive Richard Lewis said: "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.
"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 AELTC main board for next week, at which a decision will be made."
In preparation Wimbledon are communicating closely with the LTA, and with the ATP, WTA, ITF and the other Grand Slams.
All professional tennis is currently suspended until the start of the grass-court season on June 7.
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