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Wimbledon 2020 officially cancelled as chiefs offer site to the NHS

1 April 2020, 16:37

Wimbledon has been cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Picture: Getty

By Alice Dear

Wimbledon has been cancelled this year, for the first time since World War II.

However, due to the coronavirus outbreak, Wimbledon will not go ahead this summer

The iconic tennis championships were set to start on June 29 this year and last two weeks.

However, due to the coronavirus outbreak, Wimbledon will not go ahead this summer.

You can find the latest Coronavirus (Covid-19) advice from the NHS here.

The famous tennis championships have been cancelled this year for the first time since World War II. Picture: Getty

Instead of being used for the tennis championships, the 13.5 acre All England Club grounds will now be opened up to the NHS.

In a statement only released days ago, the All England Club said: "We have offered our facilities to our local NHS providers and will help in whatever way.

“We are offering support to our local communities and have donated funds through our partnership with the British Red Cross and food stores through our partnership with City Harvest."

This is the first time Wimbledon has been cancelled since 1945, during the second World War.

The Wimbledon site is instead being offered to help the NHS. Picture: Getty

In the statement announcing the cancellation today, it read: "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."

People with tickets to the championships will be refunded. Picture: Getty

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.”