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Post by Admin on Apr 1, 2020 20:45:24 GMT
 Wimbledon has been cancelled for the first time since World War Two because of the coronavirus pandemic. The tournament was due to be played between 29 June and 12 July. The entire grass-court season has been abandoned, and there will be no professional tennis anywhere in the world until at least 13 July. Wimbledon is the latest major summer sporting event to be called off, with Euro 2020 and the Tokyo Olympics postponed for 12 months. It follows the postponement of the French Open, which was due to begin in May but has been rescheduled to 20 September-4 October. "This is a decision that we have not taken lightly, and we have done so with the highest regard for public health and the wellbeing of all those who come together to make Wimbledon happen," said Ian Hewitt, All England Lawn Tennis Club chairman. "It has weighed heavily on our minds that the staging of the Championships has only been interrupted previously by World Wars but, following thorough and extensive consideration of all scenarios, we believe it is ultimately the right decision to cancel this year's Championships, and instead concentrate on how we can use the breadth of Wimbledon's resources to help those in our local communities and beyond. "Our thoughts are with all those who have been and continue to be affected by these unprecedented times." Why decide now? The All England Club did not need to make a decision before the end of April, but the writing has been on the wall for some time. That is when on-site preparations would have had to begin in earnest: a forlorn hope given the current restrictions in place in the UK. As was the thought that by the end of June, 40,000 people would be able to take their seats in packed stands, and jostle for the best vantage point in the narrow walkways bordering the outside courts. The government's advice that large gatherings should not take place is aimed, in no small part, at relieving the pressure on the emergency services, which would otherwise be in attendance. It is undeniably optimistic to assume the demands on the health service will have returned to normal levels by mid-summer. Swift cancellation should help reduce any losses that Wimbledon, and the LTA's series of grass-court events, might incur - but there is also the issue of perception. The All England Club would not want to be seen to be pushing ahead with a sporting event as the death toll continues to rise and the country remains in the grip of the pandemic. Sticking resolutely to a place on the calendar, only to cancel abruptly, or postponing by a few weeks before having to concede defeat, is messy. It is not the way Wimbledon does things. Better, instead, to face facts and plan to return with a flourish in 2021. |
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Post by Admin on Apr 2, 2020 1:54:06 GMT
It was a cancellation we probably saw coming, but is a stunner nonetheless.
Wimbledon has been officially taken off the calendar by the All England Club in 2020, and it’ll be the first time since World War II that the tournament won’t have a set of champions hoisting the hardware.
The annual tournament was scheduled between June 29 and July 12. And there was plenty of reaction from both the men’s and women’s side. Here’s a roundup, which includes Serena Williams, who summed it all up with two words: “I’m shooked.” That’s exactly how everyone feels about sporting events like this one being canceled:
In addition to Wimbledon, the suspension covers the entirety of the ATP/WTA European grass court swing, including ATP events in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Stuttgart, London-Queen’s, Halle, Mallorca, Eastbourne, as well as WTA events in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Nottingham, Birmingham, Berlin, Eastbourne and Bad Homburg. The suspension comes into effect at all levels of the professional game, including the ATP Challenger Tour, as well as the ITF World Tennis Tour. At this time, tournaments taking place from July 13, 2020 onwards are still planning to proceed as per the published schedule.
The ATP and WTA realize the importance and responsibility to prioritize the health and safety of the tennis community and general public while assessing the feasibility of the Tours' resumption.
“This was a decision that the WTA and our members did not take lightly, however we remain vigilant in protecting the health and safety of our players, staff and fans,” said Steve Simon, WTA Chairman and CEO. “While we share in the disappointment of the season’s further postponement, our priority remains to support each other during this unprecedented time and work together as a sport in preparation of our return to play.”
“Regrettably, the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic leaves us with no choice but to suspend the Tour further; a decision we’ve made in close cooperation with our members and the other governing bodies of tennis,” said Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman. “Health and safety remains the top priority as we navigate the challenges ahead in these unprecedented times, and we will do everything we can for the Tour to resume at the earliest opportunity once it is safe to do so.”
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Post by Admin on Apr 4, 2020 18:31:18 GMT
Genie Bouchard joins Mark Masters to discuss how incredibly sad it is to see Wimbledon cancelled, what it is about playing at the prestigious tournament that she loves so much, how disappointing it's been seeing so many events cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis, what a day in self-isolation is like for herself, and much more.
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Post by Admin on Apr 5, 2020 19:05:05 GMT
Relive the thrilling Wimbledon Quarter-final between Roger Federer and Marin Cilic in full...  This is the official Wimbledon YouTube page. To keep up with Wimbledon throughout the year, visit wimbledon.com/mywimbledon |
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Post by Admin on Apr 10, 2020 1:00:15 GMT
A week after Wimbledon organizers canceled the tournament due to the coronavirus pandemic, more details have emerged about how an infectious disease clause in its insurance policy will help offset an estimated revenue loss of around £250 million. Wimbledon is set to receive around £114 million ($141 million) from the policy, according to the Action Network, a figure in line with The Times’ reporting last week, which estimated the payout to be in excess of £100 million. :format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66625431/1216216601.jpg.0.jpg) “We’re fortunate to have the insurance and it helps,” said Richard Lewis, Wimbledon’s outgoing chief executive, in an interview with The Guardian. “The insurers, the brokers and everybody involved have been excellent to work with so far, but there’s still a lot of work to do.” The All England Club reportedly updated its Wimbledon insurance policy years ago to include the infectious disease clause following the worldwide SARS outbreak in 2002. The Club’s risk and finance subcommittee is charged with assessing all potential risks to the annual tournament, including global pandemics, terrorist attacks and even the death of a monarch, which would thrust the country into a time of national mourning. |
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