To date, 68 tournaments on the ATP Challenger Tour have been directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with their events canceled or postponed.
We thank them for all they do.
Your favourite players are all back at home, but they’re finding plenty of ways to stay active. From Roger Federer hitting against a wall to Rafael Nadal working out on the treadmill, find out how the biggest names in tennis are keeping busy.
Federer shared how he’s been staying in shape while practising social distancing.
Another glimpse into the stay at home practice routine ????
I hope everyone is safe and healthy. Stay positive. Keep active. Support one another. We will get through this together? #stayhome pic.twitter.com/ZVqMZ2ZpXc— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) April 2, 2020
Nadal encouraged his fans to keep a positive attitude.
Hay que animarse y seguir!!!! ?????? #yomequedoencasa #iorestoacasa#istayhome #jerestechezmoi pic.twitter.com/3uX6pc4ubo
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) April 2, 2020
Grigor Dimitrov found a unique way to continue working on his strength.
Grigor making this look easy… ?
Think you could pull this off?
?: @GrigorDimitrov | #tennisathome pic.twitter.com/IPGTRq1KOA
— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 1, 2020
Kyle Edmund gave thanks to the frontline workers who are helping combat COVID-19 and urged everyone to stay at home.
“What’s going on is bigger than tennis right now.”
Hear from Brit @kyle8edmund via @QueensTennis ?pic.twitter.com/WfLnbtWR3X
— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 2, 2020
Yuichi Sugita is sporting an unconventional training kit these days.
SAMURAI training at home.
日本の文化で世界を元気に!!
バカ殿様に届けばいいな!! pic.twitter.com/Tk4NJEIaAJ— 杉田祐一 / Yuichi SUGITA (@sugitayuichi88) April 2, 2020
Lloyd Harris is taking his tennis to new heights.
Now this is cool ?#tennisathome with @lloydharris63 ?? pic.twitter.com/6bp1IUb4w1
— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 2, 2020
Roberto Carballes Baena is still working hard on his fitness.
¡Que nada te pare!
? @Robertocarba93 #YoMeQuedoEnCasa | #StayAtHome | #TennisAtHome pic.twitter.com/6aPQf3Lmkc
— ATP Tour en Español (@ATPTour_ES) April 2, 2020
Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi helped donate food bags to those in need in his native Pakistan.
Alhamdulliah hv delivered 500 ration bags to 500 families with help of @Rizq_Sharefood and in sha Allah goal is to reach 500 more in next few days ,thanks to all the contributions to #stopwarstartennis . Let’s keep working on making hunger free pakistan #CoronaVirusPakistan pic.twitter.com/VVGL1sRFtO
— Aisam ul Haq Qureshi (@aisamhqureshi) April 1, 2020
Grigor Dimitrov is committed to making a difference during his time off from competing. The Bulgarian donated ventilators to the hospital in his hometown of Haskovo in a bid to help those affected by COVID-19 in his country.
“I come from a really small town and never forgot where I came from. I just want to help, simple as that,” Dimitrov said to ATPTour.com. “I’ve been playing for Bulgaria all my life. I still have a Bulgarian passport. I really appreciate the people and all the support throughout the years. It’s not only a way of giving something back to the country, but deeply moves me and makes me feel alive.”
Dimitrov is currently in California, but remains in touch with family back home and has kept up on the news about how the coronavirus is impacting Bulgaria. He believes it’s more important than ever for the world to unite in looking at ways to be of service.
“I’ve always been very aware of what’s happening in my country. We often forget who the real heroes are in situations like this: all the doctors, the people working in gas stations or grocery stores, the cleaning staff at the hospitals,” Dimitrov said. “You have to appreciate that and I don’t think we’ve always done the best at it, even in good times.”
Dimitrov is also looking at other ways to continue his philanthropy in the future. He admitted to having “notepads lying around everywhere” filled with ideas and hopes to bring some of them to life.
“Hopefully, I can have the right opportunities, right partners and the right structure to do the things I’ve always wanted to do, whether it’s in the medical field or education or something like that,” Dimitrov said. “I just know there are bigger things and I’d really like to not only be heavily involved, but give a part of myself for it.”
There are 449 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Bulgaria as of 2 April.
From Jim Courier’s first ‘Sunshine Double’ and Andre Agassi’s six titles to the birth of the rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the Miami Open presented by Itau has delivered highlight after highlight since its inaugural tournament in 1985. But the good memories from this Masters 1000 tournament extend beyond the court.
We take a walk down memory lane and relive four fun moments from the past four years…
2019: Federer’s Favourite Child
Roger Federer has done countless interviews over the years, but he faced probably the toughest question at all from #NextGenATP reporter Miomir Kecmanovic on media day in Miami.
“We all know you have four kids. We want to know which one is your favourite,” asked Kecmanovic.
Federer, father to twin girls Charlene and Myla and boys Leo and Lenny, laughed as he replied, “Cheeky question, huh? Good one! I’ve actually never been asked!”
2018: Tiafoe Undercover
Does that ticket scanner look familiar? Eagle-eyed fans entering Crandon Park got an unexpected surprise when they found Frances Tiafoe scanning them in. “You are a champion!” said one man. “This is not your job,” said another woman. “Good game last night!”
But not all the spectators were as observant. Wearing a cap and sunglasses, the young American managed to fool a number of people…
2017: Iguana In The House
The score was tied 3-3 in the third set, with Tommy Haas set to serve to Jiri Vesely during their first-round match, when an iguana climbed to the top of a baseline scoreboard and rested at the best seat on Court 1. “It’s a big one,” said the umpire. Officials tried to shoo the reptile away with a towel, but he refused to budge.
With play temporarily suspended, Haas walked over and snapped a selfie with the animal. “It’s nice for him to stop by. Good-looking iguana,” said the veteran, who was making his final appearance in Miami.
Eventually, though, the iguana’s fun in the sun ended, but not before a victory lap. The reptile pranced around and across the court, sprinting to the opposite baseline as the fans cheered.
2016: The World’s Best Promposal?
It may be difficult to beat this promposal from one young fan, who enlisted the help of Novak Djokovic in Miami. As the World No. 1 finished up a practice session, the fan hung over the railings with a sign, “Nole, would you please help me with my ‘promposal'”.
Djokovic was happy to assist, promptly pulling the fan from the crowd. “Rebecca, will you go to prom with Ricardo,” he asked, giving her a choice of two tennis balls — one with Y for yes and N for no.
“I’ll remember it, and I hope they do too,” said Djokovic. “I hope they have a nice time at prom.”
Due to the global outbreak of COVID-19, the 2020 Miami Open presented by Itau will not proceed as scheduled.
Although Andre Agassi established himself as the original king of Miami, Novak Djokovic took over the throne after his retirement and could surpass the American’s achievements at this event.
Both men share the tournament record for most titles won (6), but Djokovic accomplished the feat in fewer attempts (11 vs. 17) and holds a better win-loss record (44-7, 86% vs. 61-13, 82%). The Serbian has reached the final in seven of his 12 appearances in Miami.
From his maiden ATP Masters 1000 triumph as a 19-year-old to his record-tying triumph in 2016, ATPTour.com takes a look back at each of the World No. 1’s six title runs in Miami.
2007: Djokovic’s Arrival
Djokovic came to Miami with four ATP Tour titles to his name and his first Masters 1000 final just days earlier, having lost to Rafael Nadal in the BNP Paribas Open final. Buoyed by his Indian Wells breakthrough, he powered through Miami in what remains one of his dominant runs.
The 19-year-old Serbian lost an average of five games per match to reach the final, gaining revenge against Nadal in the quarter-finals and dropping just a single game against Andy Murray in their semi-final clash. Djokovic ended the inspired run of Guillermo Canas in the championship, sweeping past the Argentine qualifier 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 for the biggest title of his career.
2011: The Sunshine Double
At the start of 2011, it was unclear who would be able to stop Djokovic. He opened the year on an 18-0 run after titles at the Australian Open, Dubai and Indian Wells.
Four years after his last title in Florida, Djokovic delivered an equally dominant run to his second Miami final. The second seed dropped a combined 18 games in his first five matches to set up a championship clash with Nadal, whom he had defeated two weeks earlier in the Indian Wells final.
After two sets in which Djokovic and Nadal shifted between peak form and patches of errors, both men showcased their best tennis in a gripping final set. Djokovic belted a forehand into the corner to prevail 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(2) after three hours and 21 minutes of punishing tennis.
Djokovic’s triumph marked the first ‘Sunshine Double’ of his career. He picked up his seventh Masters 1000 crown and brought his 2011 record to 24-0, marking the best start to a season since Ivan Lendl began with 25 consecutive victories in 1986.
2012: Murray Revenge
Djokovic continued to cement his status as the man to beat on hard courts, opening the year with his third Australian Open title. With center court in Miami proving to feel like home for him, the World No. 1 raced through the top half of the draw without dropping a set and earned the right to face Andy Murray in the final.
The Serbian was eager for payback after dropping the 2009 Miami final to Murray. The Brit only completed three matches during the 2012 tournament after receiving walkovers in his third round and semi-final, but the lack of match play left him undercooked and Djokovic pounced on his slow start.
Although Murray worked his way into the match, he was unable to make a dent in Djokovic’s service games. The top seed didn’t face a break point en route to a convincing 6-1, 7-6(4) win, marking his first three-peat at a Masters 1000 event.
2014: Hard-Court Dominance
After defeating Roger Federer in a third-set tie-break to take the title in Indian Wells, Djokovic looked to score his second Sunshine Double and secure his fourth Miami crown.
The second seed had an unconventional path to the final that included walkovers in the third round against Florian Mayer and semi-finals against Kei Nishikori. But Djokovic’s straight-sets win over Murray in the quarter-finals confirmed that he was still in top form when he took the court.
Nadal once against stood across the net in the final, but the Serbian had a clear mental advantage. Djokovic owned a flawless 3-0 record in Miami finals, while Nadal was winless (0-3) at the same juncture.
Djokovic’s superior serve saw him take 83 per cent of points when he got his first serve in play and his penetrating groundstrokes pinned Nadal well behind the baseline. The World No. 2 coasted to a 6-3, 6-3 win and further proved his hard-court dominance over the Spaniard. Although Nadal led their ATP Head2Head rivalry 22-18, Djokovic held a 14-7 edge in their hard-court series.
2015: Repeat Business
For the third time in his career, Djokovic arrived in Miami on the back of victories in Melbourne and Indian Wells. Unlike some of his other dominant runs in Miami, the defending champion was pushed from the first ball this time. He went to a deciding set in his opening round against Martin Klizan and a fourth-round clash with Alexandr Dolgopolov, but ultimately advanced to a sixth final in Florida.
Waiting for Djokovic in the final was another showdown with Murray. Djokovic had won their past nine hard-court meetings and even when Murray appeared to have an edge in the hard-hitting rallies, the Serbian looked confident in being able to wear his opponent down.
After delivering his best tennis for two sets, Murray was unable to keep up with the physical demands required to beat Djokovic. The top seed sprinted through the final set for a 7-6, 4-6, 6-0 victory and became the first man in the Open Era to complete the grueling Sunshine Double three times.
2016: Making History
A now-familiar pattern for Djokovic saw him once again enter the second Masters 1000 event of the year with titles in Melbourne and Indian Wells. His confidence only grew at his most successful Masters 1000 event and the top seed once again powered through the draw, outlasting David Goffin in an entertaining semi-final to face Nishikori.
The Japanese, competing in one of the biggest hard-court finals of his career, broke Djokovic in the third game of the match. It would be the only momentum he held that afternoon as the Serbian claimed his sixth straight win over Nishikori with a 6-3, 6-3 triumph. Djokovic lifted a then-record 28th Masters 1000 title and matched Agassi’s tournament record with his sixth crown.
Borna Coric has become a consistent force on the ATP Tour, using his rock-solid baseline game to break opponents down, while also going on the attack when necessary. The 23-year-old Croatian is currently No. 33 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, and he has not dropped from the world’s Top 50 since 30 October 2017.
ATPTour.com looks at five things you should know about the 6’2″ right-hander:
1) He is a two-time ATP Tour titlist
Coric has won two ATP Tour titles, earning his maiden trophy in Marrakech three years ago. The Croatian needed to work hard for that crown, saving five championship points in the title match against German veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Coric’s second title also came in style, defeating Roger Federer in the 2018 Halle final. He earned two Top 5 victories in that tournament, also upsetting Alexander Zverev in the first round.
2) Coric showed his talent early
Before turning 18, Coric showed his skills by defeating some of the best players of this generation. At 17, he beat Rafael Nadal (2014 Basel), and at 18 he defeated Andy Murray (2015 Dubai). The 2014 ATP Star of Tomorrow has tallied 13 Top 10 wins, and he is only 23.
Coric qualified for the first edition of the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2017, and he has climbed as high as No. 12 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.
3) Borna’s favourite day of the week was Monday
When Coric was a junior travelling to tournaments in Croatia, he had added incentive to make a deep run. He recalls that championship matches were on Monday, so if he advanced that far, he would get to miss a day of school.
“That was great. That was awesome. That was one of the memories which I had back then,” Coric said. “I did not want to go to school and that was something cool. You could just play the match on a Monday and it was a final, so that was great. “
Coric has grown plenty since then, and this year he represented Croatia as his country’s No. 1 singles player at the inaugural ATP Cup in Sydney. He defeated Austria’s Dominic Thiem, who not long thereafter reached the Australian Open final.
4) He remembers his first international tournament vividly
Coric played his first tournament outside of Croatia in Rome in 2005, losing in the final. His whole family — includng his parents and sister — went with him and stayed in a camper van.
“I remember almost every detail. I started basically to prepare for the tournament two weeks before, and I actually thought we were going to play on a small court,” Coric recalled. “I came there with my whole family and we were playing on a normal court with normal balls, so then I started being very nervous. I remember also that we were staying in this caravan, all four of us. It was quite funny. It was a very small place for four people, but back at that time I just didn’t mind.
“After the [final] match I just went to do 100 pushups and situps because I was just mad at myself that I lost.”
5) Borna meet… Mike Tyson?
Coric’s favourite sports personality is perhaps a surprise: boxer Mike Tyson. He got to meet the former heavyweight champion at the 2016 BNP Paribas Open, when he was still a teen.
“I watched it all on YouTube, basically, and I just liked his fire… I think that’s unbelievable,” Coric said. “I was watching his fights and I just find him very entertaining, I loved the way he was fighting. It was really cool. I always wanted to meet him.”
Naomi Broady says she considered applying to work in a supermarket after Wimbledon was cancelled and the tennis season halted until at least 13 July.
Wimbledon was called off for the first time since World War Two on Wednesday because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Broady has not played a match since suffering an ankle injury last October.
“Tennis is an individual sport and we win our money, so if we’re not able to win it, we don’t get any, it’s that simple,” she told BBC Radio Manchester.
“I was looking at doing supermarket work, especially at the start when they were saying they were struggling for staff.”
In addition to the entire grass-court season being abandoned, the French Open, on clay, has been rescheduled from May to 20 September-4 October.
Broady says professional tennis players have yet to receive any financial support despite the cancellation of tournaments.
The 30-year-old continued: “No players will be earning money whilst the tours are off. I know a lot of the lower ranked players who don’t really make [much] money on the tour, don’t have savings and they’re campaigning to try and get some sort of financial help or relief.
“The small bit of relief, almost, is that everyone is in the same boat. The country is in lockdown now so unless players have got a court in their own back garden, which isn’t many of them, no one is able to do anything at all.”
Broady and her younger brother Liam, also a professional player, have signed up on social media as volunteers to help people in their area with shopping or prescription pick-ups.
Editor’s Note: ATPTour.com is resurfacing articles to bring fans closer to their favourite players. This story was originally published on 30 March 2017.
Roger Federer held off a streaky Tomas Berdych on Thursday at the Miami Open presented by Itau, saving two match points to reach the semi-finals 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(6).
“I’ve had some tough losses here where I should have won, like against Tomas a few years ago and also against Nishikori, and they stay with you. I’m happy to come have through today,” Federer told ESPN after the match. “I definitely got very lucky at the end, but I think I showed great heart today. I fought and Tomas definitely started to step it up, but it was a great match at the end.”
Watch Full Match Replays
Federer hadn’t saved a match point en route to victory since erasing three in coming back from two sets down to defeat Marin Cilic in the 2016 Wimbledon quarter-finals. The Swiss maestro moves to 17-1 in 2017, his best start to a season since 2006, and has now won seven straight tie-breaks. Federer is through to his seventh semi-final in Miami and first since 2011.
The fifth seed will play 12th seed Nick Kyrgios for a place in Sunday’s final. Kyrgios leads the FedEx ATPHead2Head with Federer 1-0, prevailing on the clay courts of Madrid in 2015 in a third-set tie-break.
“They like the big stage and the belief they have makes them tough to play in any given match,” said Federer of Kyrgios and other rising stars on the ATP World Tour. “The question with those guys coming up is what can they bring every single day? How is the mind and the body coping through the newer stress for them that they’re experiencing? Some weeks you feel great, some weeks you don’t feel so good. That’s normal when you’re younger and still trying to figure everything out, what their best surface is, how they need to play against certain player types.”
Coming into the quarter-finals, Berdych had dropped serve just once in the tournament. But, putting just one of six first serves into play, the Czech was broken in the opening game of the match. In contrast, Federer fought off a break point in the second game. He held serve throughout and broke Berdych again at 4-2 to put the set beyond doubt.
Berdych regrouped in the second set and took advantage of a loose Federer service game to go ahead 5-3 and soon after snapped his streak of 15 lost sets to Federer to take the match to a decider.
Little separated both players in the early stages of the third set, but a pair of forehand errors from Berdych gifted Federer a break to lead 4-2. The fifth seed was shockingly broken at love attempting to serve out the match at 5-3 and couldn’t convert on a match point at 5-4 after Berdych erased it with a gutsy 120mph second serve down the T to Federer’s forehand.
Federer trailed 4/6 in the third-set tie-break, but Berdych missed his opportunities with a backhand unforced error and a forehand into the net. A double fault from Berdych at 6/7 wrapped up the match after one hour and 57 minutes. Federer improves his FedEx ATP Head2Head against Berdych to 18-6 and has won their past seven matches.
“I guess you get better over time handling pressure. Then you have to be careful as you grow older not to play too conservatively when it matters. You start playing percentages way too much when you get older because you’ve seen too many times what can happen,” said Federer. “Sometimes when you have that young mind you just go for it, and that’s when great things do happen. For me, it’s always a balance between playing the percentages, yet playing free and young in the mind.”
Federer has not tasted success in Miami since 2006, when he completed the Indian Wells-Miami title double for the second consecutive year.
Despite the loss, Berdych said there were still plenty of positives to take from his fortnight in Miami.
“I’ve done quite a bit of work in between Indian Wells and now and I think that’s showing here, which is important,” said Berdych. “I think this was just the very beginning. The beginning of the year has slipped a bit for me, but I think the season is long, and I think whoever is going to come fresh and strong for the second part of it is going to be very dangerous.”
Wimbledon has been cancelled for the first time since World War Two because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The tournament was due to be played between 29 June and 12 July.
The entire grass-court season has been abandoned, and there will be no professional tennis anywhere in the world until at least 13 July.
Wimbledon is the latest major summer sporting event to be called off, with Euro 2020 and the Tokyo Olympics postponed for 12 months.
It follows the postponement of the French Open, which was due to begin in May but has been rescheduled to 20 September-4 October.
“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 Ian Hewitt, All England Lawn Tennis Club chairman.
“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 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.”
The All England Club did not need to make a decision before the end of April, but the writing has been on the wall for some time.
That is when on-site preparations would have had to begin in earnest: a forlorn hope given the current restrictions in place in the UK.
As was the thought that by the end of June, 40,000 people would be able to take their seats in packed stands, and jostle for the best vantage point in the narrow walkways bordering the outside courts.
The government’s advice that large gatherings should not take place is aimed, in no small part, at relieving the pressure on the emergency services, which would otherwise be in attendance. It is undeniably optimistic to assume the demands on the health service will have returned to normal levels by mid-summer.
Swift cancellation should help reduce any losses that Wimbledon, and the LTA’s series of grass-court events, might incur – but there is also the issue of perception.
The All England Club would not want to be seen to be pushing ahead with a sporting event as the death toll continues to rise and the country remains in the grip of the pandemic.
Sticking resolutely to a place on the calendar, only to cancel abruptly, or postponing by a few weeks before having to concede defeat, is messy. It is not the way Wimbledon does things. Better, instead, to face facts and plan to return with a flourish in 2021.
The All England Club had the foresight to take out insurance policies which will shield them from eye-watering losses. They will therefore be able to refund ticket holders, broadcast partners and sponsors – a bill which, even according to conservative estimates, will top £200m.
The Lawn Tennis Association will also receive its ‘annual surplus’ of profits. The payment, which effectively funds British tennis’ governing body for the year ahead, was over £40m in 2018.
It is likely to fall, but should not leave an irreparable hole at the heart of the LTA’s finances, especially as it has reserves of over £160m
But the LTA has lost over £12m in the past two years, and will also be hit by the loss of all of the summer grass-court events. Of those, only the Fever Tree Championships at Queen’s Club actually returns a profit, but as they are not insured against cancellation, this year’s losses will inevitably be greater.
But the biggest blow for British tennis is the loss of the best shop window of the year. No Queen’s, Eastbourne or Wimbledon means no BBC TV exposure for the sport, and even if we are allowed to return to the courts, there is very unlikely to be the dramatic spike in participation usually seen in the months of June and July.
No-one is holding their breath for a resumption of the tour in Hamburg, Bastad, Bucharest and Lausanne on 13 July.
The Olympic tournament is already on hold; the prestigious events in Toronto and Montreal in the middle of August are said to be under threat; and the USTA has publicly floated the possibility of pushing back the US Open start date of 31 August.
There has even been talk behind the scenes of staging the US Open in Indian Wells, California, in December. But if you take the US Open out of New York and push it back three months, it won’t be the US Open.
If professional tennis is able to resume, then the WTA in particular seems keen to make up for lost time and continue beyond the WTA Championships scheduled for the first week in November.
But the global nature of the sport, which requires players to cross continents with so much regularity, may yet make this debate an academic one as far as 2020 is concerned.
As the 2006 Wimbledon champion Amelie Mauresmo said on Twitter earlier this week: “I think we are going to have to draw a line under the 2020 tennis season.
“An international circuit = players of all nationalities, as well as coaches, spectators and those coming from all four corners of the world to bring these events to life.
“No vaccine = no tennis.”
The 134th Championships will be held from 28 June to 11 July 2021
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.
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