There may be more major casualties to the sporting schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club announced in a statement Wednesday that it is actively considering postponing or outright canceling Wimbledon, which is scheduled to begin June 29. The AELTC has ruled out playing the tournament without spectators, and admits that postponement may be difficult due to the necessity of maintaining the grass surface.
Wimbledon's organizers say they are considering both cancellation & postponement, acknowledging that postponement because of grass's characteristics, will be tough to manage. Playing without fans has been ruled out. Emergency meeting next week with decision possible pic.twitter.com/Mktqa3P2PY
— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) March 25, 2020
The French Open has already postponed its tournament until late September, but as a clay court tournament, concerns about the playing surface are less significant than they would be at Wimbledon. The UK is currently on a national lockdown to slow the spread of the virus, and it’s hard to envision things will be normal enough for this tournament to take place as scheduled.
