Wimbledon organizers have scrapped the oldest Grand Slam tennis tournament for the first time since World War Two as the coronavirus wreaks further havoc on the global sporting calendar.
The cancellation of the only grass-court major at London's All England Club leaves the season in disarray, with no tennis set to be played until mid-July, at the earliest.
Tournament chiefs bowed to the inevitable on Wednesday saying in a statement that they had made the decision with "great regret" but said it was the best decision in the interest of public health.
All England Club chairman Ian Hewitt said the decision to cancel Wimbledon had not been taken lightly.
In a lengthy statement, they said the considerations are particularly related to the concerns brought about by mass gatherings and the strain on the medical and emergency services, as well as movement and travel restrictions both within the UK and around the world.
With the likelihood that the Government’s measures will continue for many months, it is their view that they 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.
The decision to cancel Wimbledon was widely expected, with the world struggling to contain the spread of COVID-19, which has claimed more than 43,000 lives and infected more than 860,000 people, according to the latest AFP tally.
The 134th Championships will now take place from 28 June- 11 July 2021.
