This year’s third major, Wimbledon has been cancelled.
The decision was taken following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
It followed an emergency board meeting of the All England and Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) on Wednesday.
The tournament, widely viewed as the most prestigious in the world, was scheduled to take place at the All England Club from June 29 to July 12.
A statement was released after Wednesday’s emergency board meeting and it read:
“It is with great regret that the AELTC has today decided that The Championships 2020 will be cancelled due to public health concerns linked to the coronavirus epidemic.
“The 134th Championships will instead be staged from 28 June to 11 July 2021.
“Uppermost in our mind has been the health and safety of all of those who come together to make Wimbledon happen – the public in the UK and visitors from around the world, our players, guests, members, staff, volunteers, partners, contractors, and local residents – as well as our broader responsibility to society’s efforts to tackle this global challenge to our way of life.
“Since the emergence of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in January, we have followed guidance from the UK Government and public health authorities in relation to our year-round operations, alongside developing an understanding of the likely trajectory of the outbreak in the UK.
“With the likelihood that the Government’s measures will continue for many months, it is our view that we must act responsibly to protect the large numbers of people required to prepare The Championships from being at risk – from the training of ball boys and girls to thousands of officials, line judges, stewards, players, suppliers, media and contractors who convene on the AELTC Grounds – and equally to consider that the people, supplies and services legally required to stage The Championships would not be available at any point this summer, thus ruling out postponement.”
It was also announced that the 2021 edition of the Championships – the 134th in the tournament’s history – will be held from 28 June to 11 July.
