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Wimbledon Cancelled For First Time Since WWII

The All England Club and Wimbledon officials decided Wednesday to cancel the 2020 Wimbledon Championship. The Wimbledon Championship joins a long list of sporting events canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus.

This is only the third time Wimbledon has ever been canceled. The first cancellations were during World War I and II, but this is also the first time the Championship has been canceled during peacetime since Wimbledon’s opening in 1877.

Wimbledon posted to its website 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 canceled due to public health concerns linked to the coronavirus epidemic.

“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.”

The Wimbledon Championships was supposed to start at the end of June and carry over well into July. The cancellation leaves fans all around the world with little to no hope of seeing a return to sports anytime soon.

“We are going through something bigger than tennis, and Wimbledon will be back!” Simona Halep said. “And it means I have even longer to look forward to defending my title.”

“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,” the All England Club said on Wednesday.

US Open Status

The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, NY, will be used as a housing facility for the sick. There are 350 hospital beds being set up, and workers plan on preparing food packages at the tennis court as well.

“The USTA is carefully monitoring the rapidly-changing environment surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, and is preparing for all contingencies,” the USTA said in its statement. “We also rely on the USTA’s Medical Advisory Group as well as governmental and security officials to ensure that we have the broadest understanding of this fluid situation.”

Eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer took to Twitter Wednesday to show his mood about the entire situation. “Devastated,” Federer tweeted following the news regarding the cancellation of the tournament.

The United States Tennis Association says the US Open will still take place starting Aug. 24.

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