Wimbledon cancelled for the first time since World War II due to coronavirus pandemic

Wimbledon has been cancelled for the first time since the Second World War due to the coronavirus pandemic, the All England Club (AELTC) announced on Wednesday.

London [UK], April 1 : Wimbledon has been cancelled for the first time since the Second World War due to the coronavirus pandemic, the All England Club (AELTC) announced on Wednesday.

"It is with great regret that the Main Board of the All England Club (AELTC) and the Committee of Management of The Championships have today decided that The Championships 2020 will be cancelled due to public health concerns linked to the coronavirus epidemic," AELTC said in a statement.

The entire grass-court tournament was scheduled to commence on June 29 and played out till July 12. The 134th Championships will instead be staged from 28 June to 11 July 2021.

AELTC said health and safety is their uppermost priority.

"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," AELTC said.

Ian Hewitt, AELTC Chairman, termed it a "right decision" amid this "global crisis".

"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," Hewitt said in a statement.

"It has weighed heavily on our minds that the staging of The Championships has only been interrupted previously by World Wars but, following thorough and extensive consideration of all scenarios, we believe that it is a measure of this global crisis that it is ultimately the right decision to cancel this year's Championships, and instead concentrate on how we can use the breadth of Wimbledon's resources to help those in our local communities and beyond. Our thoughts are with all those who have been and continue to be affected by these unprecedented times," he added.

The French Open too that was set to begin in May has now been rescheduled to September 20.

Earlier the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the Euro 2020 were also postponed to next year.

( With inputs from ANI )