Wimbledon cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic
Wimbledon has been cancelled for the first time since the World War Two. The Championships were scheduled to run from 29 June until 12 July, but officials have decided not to go ahead with the event due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The cancellation looked increasingly inevitable as more and more summer events have been forced to postpone or cancel altogether. Glastonbury, for example, which was to celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, has rescheduled its line-up until 2021.
Much like a festival, Wimbledon is a huge-scale operation involving hundreds of staff. The tournament requires at least two months of pre-event preparation, made impossible by the current lockdown and social distancing measures.
There will be no professional tennis until 13 July, according to the Wimbledon Tennis Association.
"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 All England Club chairman, Ian Hewitt.
In 2019, aggregate attendance at Wimbledon over the fortnight was 500,397. Considered a key part of the British summer social calendar, the event attracts visitors from all over the globe, including high-profile names, including Bradley Cooper, Charlize Theron and Kendall Jenner.
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