Sports Desk
LONDON: Next year’s Wimbledon Championships could be held without spectators amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the organisers of the grasscourt Grand Slam said on Friday.
The tournament in England was cancelled this year for the first time since World War Two due to the novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 43,000 people in the United Kingdom.
It was the only Grand Slam, however, to be cancelled in 2020 as the U.S. Open in New York and the French Open in Paris were held in bio-secure environments after the Australian Open was held in normal circumstances at the beginning of the year.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), organisers of the tournament, said they were broadly planning for three different scenarios – a full capacity Championships, a reduced capacity Championships, and a ‘behind closed doors’ Championships.
“Staging The Championships in 2021 is our number one priority and we are actively engaged in scenario planning in order to deliver on that priority,” AELTC Chief Executive Sally Bolton said in a statement.
The organisers would have learnt from the other Grand Slams and would also keep a close watch on the Australian Open, which is expected to be held in Melbourne in January.
