Due to the rapid growth of the coronavirus pandemic majority of sporting competitions around the world have either been cancelled or postponed until further notice. The latest major event on the brink of suspension is the 2020 Wimbledon Championships. The competition was originally scheduled to take place between June 29 and July 12 but it looks like it might be put off till a further date due to COVID 19. The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) stated that they are looking at all possible scenarios. French Open 2020 Postponed Amid Coronavirus Outbreak, Tennis Tournament Rescheduled for September 20.

The AELTC released a statement on March 25, 2020 (Wednesday) regarding the schedule for the upcoming Wimbledon championships. The governing body announced that they are evaluating all circumstances, including postponement or cancellation due to the coronavirus. ‘The AELTC is continuing a detailed evaluation of all scenarios for The Championships 2020, including postponement and cancellation, as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.’ Read the statement released by Wimbledon. Roger Federer and Wife Mirka Donate $1 Million to Vulnerable Swiss Families Amid Coronavirus Outbreak.

Read Full Statement

‘The AELTC has been contingency planning since January, working closely with the UK government and public health authorities to follow their advice and understand the likely impact of COVID-19 and the government’s emergency measures on The Championships’ they added.

The governing body have ruled out the possibility of playing the tournament behind closed doors and said that a postponement is highly unlikely due to the nature of the grass surface used at the competition.

The AELTC also stated that an emergency meeting of the main board is scheduled for next week and they will consult with the LTA, ATP, WTA, ITF and other grand slams during the meet. Earlier, the organisers of French Open said that the tournament will be postponed to September of this year.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 26, 2020 08:22 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).