Statement from the All England Club…

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. 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. This has enabled analysis of the impact of the Government restrictions on the usual commencement in April of the significant preparations required to stage The Championships, either on the original date of 29 June, or at a later date in the summer of 2020.

These 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 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.

Following a series of detailed deliberations on all of the above, it is the Committee of Management’s view that cancellation of The Championships is the best decision in the interests of public health, and that being able to provide certainty by taking this decision now, rather than in several weeks, is important for everyone involved in tennis and The Championships. Members of the public who have paid for tickets in the Wimbledon Public Ballot for this year’s Championships will have their tickets refunded and will be offered the chance to purchase tickets for the same day and court for The Championships 2021. We will be communicating directly with all ticket-holders.

In addition, we have taken account of the impact that this decision will have on those who rely on The Championships – including the players and the tennis community in Britain and around the world – and we are developing plans to support those groups, working in partnership with the LTA and the other leadership bodies in global tennis. This also applies to our loyal staff, to whom we take our responsibility very seriously.

Ian Hewitt, AELTC Chairman, commented: “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. 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.”

Richard Lewis CBE, AELTC Chief Executive, commented: “While in some ways this has been a challenging decision, we strongly believe it is not only in the best interests of society at this time, but also provides certainty to our colleagues in international tennis given the impact on the grass court events in the UK and in Europe and the broader tennis calendar. We have appreciated the support of the LTA, and the ATP, WTA and ITF in coming to this decision, and our friends and partners who stage these grass court events that are so important in the build up to Wimbledon. I would like to thank the UK Government and public health authorities for their guidance and support, and we will do whatever we can to assist their efforts in tackling the crisis.

“Finally, I would like to thank all those who love Wimbledon for their understanding of these unique and unquestionably challenging circumstances. It is your passion for The Championships that has shaped our event over the years, and will continue to do so, and we look forward to preparing a fantastic Championships for 2021.”

Our efforts will now be focused on contributing to the emergency response and supporting those affected by the coronavirus crisis. We have begun distributing medical equipment and offered the use of our facilities to the NHS and to the London Resilience Partnership, the collection of agencies in London fighting the battle against COVID-19. We are working with the local authorities in Merton and Wandsworth, particularly on food distribution, and we are distributing food supplies through our partnership with City Harvest. Our charity, the Wimbledon Foundation, is offering funding support to our local communities through our partnership with the London Community Foundation, and more broadly for the London and UK population through our partnership with the British Red Cross, the Foundation’s emergency response charity.

Please click here to read our FAQs on wimbledon.com.

In conjunction with the cancellation of The Championships, Wimbledon, the ATP and WTA have jointly announced the continued suspension of the ATP and WTA Tours until July 13, 2020, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to Wimbledon, the suspension covers the entirety of the ATP/WTA European grass court swing, including ATP events in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Stuttgart, London-Queen’s, Halle, Mallorca, Eastbourne, as well as WTA events in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Nottingham, Birmingham, Berlin, Eastbourne and Bad Homburg. The suspension comes into effect at all levels of the professional game, including the ATP Challenger Tour, as well as the ITF World Tennis Tour. At this time, tournaments taking place from July 13, 2020 onwards are still planning to proceed as per the published schedule.

The ATP and WTA realise the importance and responsibility to prioritise the health and safety of the tennis community and general public while assessing the feasibility of the Tours’ resumption.

“Regrettably, the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic leaves us with no choice but to suspend the Tour further; a decision we’ve made in close cooperation with our members and the other governing bodies of tennis,” said Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman. “Health and safety remains the top priority as we navigate the challenges ahead in these unprecedented times, and we will do everything we can for the Tour to resume at the earliest opportunity once it is safe to do so.”

“This was a decision that the WTA and its members did not take lightly, however we remain vigilant in protecting the health and safety of our players, staff and fans,” said Steve Simon, WTA Chairman and CEO. “While we share in the disappointment of the season’s further postponement, our priority remains to support each other during this unprecedented time and work together as a sport in preparation of our return to play.”

My hands were on my knees as I stood bent over behind the baseline. After retaining my title in Houston last month, I was choking back tears.

I looked to the sky and pumped my fist as I walked to the net to embrace my opponent, Tennys Sandgren, a first-time finalist who I knew wanted to win his first trophy badly. When I put my head down on his chest, Tennys said something I will never forget.

“I know our Dads are watching in the crowd.”

^{Aaron M. Sprecher/US Clay}
I was doing my best to hold it together. But when Tennys, who lost his father a number of years ago, said that, I let it all out.

One year ago today, just 25 days after winning my first title on home soil in Houston, my dad, Steve Johnson Sr., passed away in his sleep.

I had just fulfilled a dream we shared — earning a trophy in the United States. But that was the last match he ever saw me play. Suddenly, Dad was gone.

*****

I vividly remember when Mom called that Thursday.

I’d checked into my flight to Rome at Los Angeles International Airport and had just dropped off my bags. It was 6:30 in the morning when my phone rang. Mom’s an early riser, so it wasn’t completely out of the ordinary that she was calling. I figured she probably just wanted to tell me to have a safe flight.

I was barely 10 feet from the United Airlines counter, walking toward security when she gave me the most devastating news of my life. I only had a few words in me.

“I’m coming home.”

I hung up the phone and jumped into a cab back to my house. I called my agent since my bags were checked in, and he told me not to worry about a thing — just go be with family. My then-fiancee — Kendall Bateman, whom I married on 21 April of this year — and I then got in our car and drove to Orange, California, where my parents lived. The radio was off. We sat in silence. My eyes were wide open in shock.

When we drove around the corner of my parents’ block, I saw a police car, a medic, and some family members’ cars. I still see all those cars outside the house sometimes when I make that turn. I’ll find myself short of breath, thinking I’m going to walk in and see Dad sitting on the couch watching television. That was the worst ride home of my life.

*****

The year since has been extremely tough. But my parents raised me to be a competitor and do things the right way. Dad wouldn’t have wanted me to give up, so I got back on the court, even though it’s been a struggle.

There have been times when I haven’t picked up a racquet for days and then I’ve gone on the court and been miserable. I’ve panicked. There have been times when my anxiety spiraled out of control. Some weeks it is easier and I can’t explain why. But I still enjoy playing tennis and find it’s a good way to honour him.

Dad was my first coach, after all. I remember spending long summer days with him at the courts with all the ladies’ groups he taught in the morning and all the older kids in the afternoon. I’d be the five or six-year-old kid getting beat up by 12-year-olds. I probably didn’t enjoy the losing part, but I loved being out there with Dad.

But he didn’t just help me. He coached hundreds, if not thousands, of kids, adults, high school teams, you name it. I remember when I was little, he even let a teenage girl he coached stay with us over the summer. He’d always coached her, but their family moved a bit far away. So like he always did, Dad made it work, and she not only went on to play at Nebraska, but remains a good family friend.

There’s no other way to put it: My dad loved everything about tennis and would do anything to help others achieve their goals.

That’s why I’ve found this healing process so difficult. We shared a passion for the sport.

I remember Dad taking me to watch Andre Agassi play the Netherlands in Davis Cup at Newport Beach when I was seven. We went on a trip to the US Open when I was young, too. As a young kid I was in tennis heaven running around from court to court, wanting to take it all in. Dad and a close family friend Rance Brown told me that I should want to play on those courts one day.

^{Steve Johnson}
When I did become a professional, Dad was there, like always. He got to see me play on those same courts in Flushing Meadows. He was there when I played Roger Federer at Wimbledon on the historic Centre Court. He was in the stands when I won my first title at Nottingham two years ago.

So while many athletes who lose a loved one find their peaceful place on their playing field, a tennis court was the place I felt all wrong.

I can’t just go hit tennis balls like everything’s normal. It’d help if I knew the trigger, but the most ordinary of moments during a drill could make me think of Dad. There are some days I can get through it and some days I just have to take a break.

I had an especially hard time last summer because it was still so fresh. My mind was all over the place and once I got to Wimbledon, there was such a weight on my shoulders.

Physically I was on the court playing Marin Cilic in the third round, but emotionally I was just so ready to be done. I was thinking about what was truly important to me, and my tennis was such a small part of that at the time.

Right when I got home from Wimbledon, I was in and out of the hospital for a week. My body completely shut down. The doctors originally thought it might have been appendicitis, but they never figured it out. Deep down, I know my body just couldn’t handle what I’d gone through.

Even after that, it’s been hard to look at my players’ box at tournaments like the US Open and Indian Wells, because Dad should be there. I don’t look over there for coaching. I just wish my biggest fan was there.

^{Steve Johnson}
But through the toughest moments, I’ve found a sense of unity. In Houston, I know it couldn’t have been easy for Tennys to lose his first final in front of his fantastic Mom, brothers, and others close to him. But he knew how I was feeling, and I’m forever thankful that he was there for me that day.

Going back to last year at Roland Garros, I hit a forehand winner to beat Borna Coric after four hours in the second round. I was incredibly proud of my fight, but after that shot I completely broke down.

When I got to the locker room, my coach Craig Boynton, my physio Christian LoCascio, and my good friends Sam Querrey and John Isner were there with me as I sat with a towel over my head. But a lot of other guys came up to me when they didn’t have to and just put a hand on my shoulder. It showed that while they are my competitors, the tennis world is a family too.

*****

I have struggled with this in ways that I couldn’t have imagined. I lost three of my four matches in Australia at the beginning of the year, and when I got home, I started having panic and anxiety attacks. They were frequent, too.

They didn’t feel normal, but I’ve realised they are normal. They’re not something to shy away from.

I’ve talked a lot with Mardy Fish about the anxiety side of things. He’s someone who has gone through it, too. And I’ve learned that it’s okay to talk about it. It is not easy to deal with by any means. I tried the macho man deal for months, telling people I was fine until I was by myself and I could let go.

^{Aaron M. Sprecher/US Clay}
But hopefully this will reassure people that there is nothing wrong with opening up. That’s why I started seeing a professional earlier this year (thanks to a push from Mom, too). There’s no right answer to get over losing a loved one. But you try to live life the best you can. And while I still have many tough moments, speaking to somebody about it has helped a lot. I’m working my way back towards being happy and enjoying tennis again. That’s what Dad would have wanted.

Dating back to my college days, I’ve gone to the back of the court to say a little prayer before each match and win or lose, I say another one. That has a deeper meaning now.
Dad might not have been there physically in Houston last month. But when I looked up to the sky, I knew he was watching. No matter where I’m playing or what time of day, I know Dad’s up there supporting me every step of the way like he always has.

Hopefully this will get easier, but I never want to forget what Dad has done to get me to this point.

I’m very blessed — I get to play tennis for a living, so the bad days are still great.

– as told to Andrew Eichenholz

More ‘My Point’ Essays:

Isner Inspired By Mom’s Courage

Lopez’s New Journey In Madrid

Featured image credit: Aaron M. Sprecher/Eurosport/Steve Johnson

Your favourite players are all back at home, but they’re finding plenty of ways to stay active. From Alex de Minaur breaking out the golf clubs – albeit inside – to Stan Wawrinka celebrating his birthday by any means necessary, find out how the biggest names in tennis are keeping busy.

De Minaur showed that he’s talented in more than one sport.

I’m hoping this one counts tho…. ?‍♂️??!!!! @atptour #TennisAtHome #StayAtHome #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/gO1jqFB0fp

— alex de minaur (@alexdeminaur) March 30, 2020

Wawrinka made sure that he wasn’t alone to celebrate his 35th birthday this past Saturday.

Nothing will stop me from celebrating a birthday ??‍♂️????? #NiceTryQuarantine #HouseBirthday #HouseParty #StanTheMan #Quarantine #Birthday #ThankYou #AlwaysAParty #KeepingMyselfEntertained pic.twitter.com/wUmMa3b6Kf

— Stanislas Wawrinka (@stanwawrinka) March 28, 2020

Roger Federer braved the snow to work on his trick shots.

Making sure I still remember how to hit trick shots #TennisAtHome pic.twitter.com/DKDKQTaluY

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) March 30, 2020

Novak Djokovic appears to be adding serve-and-volley tennis to his arsenal.

Competition never stops ??? #tennisathome??

Такмичење није престало ? pic.twitter.com/JG8ux5DSdB

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) March 31, 2020

Borna Coric is keeping his volleys sharp.

Practice at home with Borna ?@borna_coric | #tennisathome pic.twitter.com/vbMeRuC5Fl

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 30, 2020

Alexander Zverev and Marcelo Melo held an Instagram Live with an unexpected ending.

Plot twist ?

Which two players would you like to see go live together? ?#tennisathome pic.twitter.com/RS2IoGMewq

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 30, 2020

Fabio Fognini proved that just about anything can work as a net.

Getting creative ????‍♂️?#tennislife#stayathome#iorestoacasa#distantimauniti pic.twitter.com/hbJEAh39OE

— Fabio Fognini (@fabiofogna) March 29, 2020

Roberto Bautista Agut showed his support for good friend Rafael Nadal and his #NuestraMejorVictoria campaign to raise funds for COVID-19 relief efforts.

Me sumo a la iniciativa promovida por @RafaelNadal y @paugasol contra el #Coronavirus gracias al proyecto de la @CruzRojaEsp #CruzRojaResponde.⁣ Tenemos a la mejor afición del mundo y este es el momento de poner nuestro granito de arena por ella! #NuestraMejorVictoria⁣
⁣ pic.twitter.com/udii2pmlgZ

— Roberto BautistaAgut (@BautistaAgut) March 27, 2020

Soonwoo Kwon isn’t afraid to show his bloopers to the world.

This is brilliant from ?? Soonwoo Kwon ?#tennisathome pic.twitter.com/4PpLEWeAug

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 30, 2020

Novak Djokovic is taking #TennisAtHome to a whole new level.

The World No. 1 long ago proved himself a master with a tennis racquet. But Tuesday on social media, the Serbian showed he is not too shabby with a pan, either. 

Competition never stops ??? #tennisathome??

Такмичење није престало ? pic.twitter.com/JG8ux5DSdB

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) March 31, 2020

Djokovic posted a couple rallies he has enjoyed inside his home, using both sides of a pan to reflex volleys at the “net”. 

In addition to encouraging fans to stay at home to help stop the spread of coronavirus, Djokovic and his wife, Jelena Djokovic, previously announced that that they will donate €1 million through the Novak Djokovic Foundation for the purchase of ventilators and medical equipment to support hospitals and other medical institutions in their battle against coronavirus in Serbia.

“The fight is not easy, numbers are not pleasant, but I am convinced that we will manage to make it out of this stronger than before,” Novak told local media according to his foundation. “It is important to remain united in this fight, to help each other, so we can defeat this virus faster and easier. We would like to use this opportunity to invite everyone else to join us and help numerous families and people who need help to survive and get healthy again.”

After winning the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships one month ago to move to 18-0 in 2020, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic pondered the idea of a perfect season.

“One of the targets is to go unbeaten the whole season,” Djokovic said on court, cracking a laugh. “No, I’m kidding. I’m not kidding, actually.”

Although Djokovic wasn’t serious about going a full season without a loss, the Serbian has completed some of the best campaigns in recent memory, as detailed by ATP Uncovered presented by Peugeot.

2011
Win-Loss Record: 70-6
Titles: 10
Grand Slam Titles: 3

Djokovic began the 2011 season as the No. 3 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings. The Serbian had climbed as high as World No. 2, but never to the top of tennis’ mountain. That all changed thanks to one of the best starts to a season in history, which led him to not only reach World No. 1 for the first time, but to finish the year there.

Djokovic won his first 41 matches of 2011, with 31 of those victories coming in straight sets. Thirteen of those triumphs during that stretch were against Top 10 opposition.

Perhaps what was most impressive was the Serbian’s efforts against Rafael Nadal. He won all six of his ATP Head2Head clashes against the Spaniard in 2011, with all of those meetings coming in finals.

Djokovic had lifted one Grand Slam trophy and reached two finals prior to this season, but he earned three major crowns, triumphing at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, claiming 10 tour-level titles for the year.

What They Said
Pete Sampras: “It was quite a year for Novak Djokovic. Incredible what he was able to do. A transformation in his head has turned [him] into this incredible athlete who mentally has sort of figured it out.”

Andre Agassi: “Really one of the great years of all-time in our sport.”

2015
Win-Loss Record: 82-6
Titles: 11
Grand Slam Titles: 3

Djokovic set the bar high with his 2011 season, but he won even more matches in 2015. His 82 tour-level victories are more than he has earned in any other campaign.

It wasn’t just that he won a lot, but whom he defeated to do so. Djokovic earned 31 Top 10 wins in 2015, including a combined 15 victories against Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray.

Djokovic lifted a career-high 11 tour-level trophies and reached a single-season record 15 straight finals to end the year, the most since Federer’s 17 straight finals in 2005-06. He won a record six ATP Masters 1000 titles, reaching the championship round at eight of the nine events at that level in 2015.

After only winning one Grand Slam in 2014, the Serbian earned three major titles, emerging victorious at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. He became the third man to contest all four major finals in a single year during the Open Era (also Laver in 1969 and Federer in 2006, 2007 and 2009).

He then ended the season in style, becoming the first player to win four consecutive Nitto ATP Finals titles, finishing year-end No. 1 for the fourth time in five years.

What They Said
John McEnroe: “[It’s amazing] how consistent Novak has been at such a high level.”

Bjorn Borg: “I think what Djokovic did is one of the better seasons a player has ever had.”

Stan Smith: “Djokovic is playing at a level at which nobody could really get a chink in the armour.”

Kei Nishikori didn’t want to play the 2008 Delray Beach Open for fear of being outclassed, even embarrassed. At 18 years of age, he didn’t think he belonged at tour-level at all.

Two weeks earlier, the Japanese teenager had lost in the third round of qualifying at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Dallas against KJ Hippensteel, who won a single tour-level match in his career. So how would Nishikori, World No. 244, make it through qualifying at an ATP World Tour event?

“I told my coach I didn’t want to play in Delray because it’s a different level and [there’s] no way I’m going to win those tournaments,” Nishikori told ATPWorldTour.com. “But my coach pushed me to play.”

It’s a good thing Nishikori listened to his coach, Glenn Weiner. The rest, as they say, is history.

Ten years ago this week, Nishikori would go on one of the most memorable runs at an ATP World Tour event in recent memory. The teenager won eight matches — saving 12 of 12 break points faced in a three-set second-round win against Amer Delic, saving four match points in the semi-finals against Sam Querrey, and finally, shocking World No. 12 James Blake 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to win his first ATP World Tour crown.

“I remember in my head I thought, ‘Well, James is probably going to win this tournament’,” Querrey said, recalling his loss.

“I thought, ‘Oh, wow. This is a big opportunity. I’m getting to play a qualifier in the final’,” Blake remembered.

But instead, Nishikori became the first Japanese tour-level titlist since Shuzo Matsuoka at 1992 Seoul and the youngest player to win a title, period, since former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt captured 1998 Adelaide as a 16-year-old.

Youngest ATP World Tour Champions Since 2000

‘Project 45’ — the mission touting Nishikori’s pursuit of Matsuoka’s Japanese-best mark of No. 46 in the ATP Rankings, was underway. Yet, before the week started, the spotlight seemed distant.

“At that time, it was really hard to believe [in myself],” Nishikori admitted. “I was losing to guys ranked like 300 and I wasn’t playing well. I don’t know what happened.”

Well, it certainly worked. Knowing what we know today — Nishikori has ascended as high as No. 4 in the ATP Rankings, won 11 tour-level titles and earned 32 Top 10 victories — it is easy to look back and understand how the superstar triumphed that week in Delray Beach. But it was not that obvious a decade ago.

“That was amazing, amazing for sure,” said Dante Bottini, Nishikori’s coach since December 2010, who worked at the IMG Academy (where Nishikori has trained since coming to the United States at 13) starting in 2007. “Being such a young kid, I remember he wasn’t that big. He was very skinny, playing with all these big guys. That was very, very impressive. Very impressve.”

Becoming the first Japanese player since Matsuoka (1995 Beijing) to advance to a tour-level semi-final was worthy of commendation. But Nishikori faced four match points against Querrey. The magical run, it seemed, was one big shot from coming to an end.

Somehow, Nishikori survived.

“I was the Challenger guy,” Nishikori said. “He was a much better player. I had no pressure and I was just playing with nothing to lose, so I think I was more free to play those points and maybe I had more guts to play aggressively.”

“He came out and beat James the next day. A little bit of a shock then, but now looking back, it wasn’t so much of a shock,” Querrey said. “He’s had such a great career.”

The thing is, at that point, Nishikori never believed he would beat Blake. And neither did the top seed.

“I’d seen a little bit of the match. But I knew the way I was playing, I felt like I could be overpowering. I would be able to be aggressive,” Blake said. “And also, [I thought] he might be nervous. It was his first final.”

And whether it was because of nerves or not, Nishikori still did not believe he would win while serving at 5-4, 40/0 in the third set, three championship points on his racquet. Blake was a full-fledged star. Nishikori was just a teenager, playing someone whom he had only watched on television.

“I wasn’t believing that I could win the match. I was still thinking I might lose this game, even though I had match points,” Nishikori said. “It was really tough to believe in myself, especially against James, who was almost Top 10. And I was watching him on TV at that time, so it wasn’t easy.”

A Blake forehand error sealed the up-and-comer’s victory — Nishikori was no longer ‘The Challenger Guy’.

“I played pretty well and he just beat me,” Blake said. “I remember coming back and my brother and my coach were there and my brother said, ‘That kid is going to be really, really good’.

“Normally my brother might make an excuse like, ‘Oh, you had a rough day’ or whatever. He just said, ‘That kid is going to be good. You didn’t do anything wrong today’,” Blake remembered. “I felt like that was the case and it was so surprising to have a qualifier ranked 200 and something in the world come in and just outplay me and beat me when I was near the Top 10 in the world.”

Later that year, the teenager would become the first Japanese player to reach the fourth round at the US Open since Jiro Yamagishi in 1937. By the end of 2008, Nishikori would soar to No. 63 in the world. And while injuries set him back, the right-hander would break Matsuoka’s record ATP Ranking for a Japanese player at 2011 Shanghai.

But all of that success stems from one magical week in Delray Beach, Florida. Not bad for a guy who didn’t want to be there, saying he’d “rather play a Challenger and win a couple matches”.

“I was coming from almost nothing before [Delray Beach],” Nishikori said. “That was the start of my career.”