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Tennis

Wimbledon could be cancelled this week

───   MORGAN PIEK 13:10 Mon, 30 Mar 2020

Wimbledon could be cancelled this week | News Article
Wimbledon - Getty

The world’s biggest Grand Slam, Wimbledon, could be cancelled this week according to the vice-president of the German Tennis Federation (DTB), Dirk Hordorff.


This comes as major sporting events are being postponed or cancelled across the world due to the global Covid-19 pandemic.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Hordorff said that a final decision on the fate of the grass-court tournament in London will be known by Wednesday.

Last week the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) admitted that a postponement would not be without significant risk and difficulty, while also downplaying the suggestion of the Grand Slam being played behind closed doors.

Hordorff is of the view that at Wednesday’s meeting the most iconic tennis tournament in the world will be called off, and that it will be unrealistic to think that it would be possible for the tournament to proceed.

“Wimbledon has stated that they will have a board meeting next Wednesday and will make the final decision there,” said Hordorff.

“I am also involved in the bodies of the ATP and WTA. The necessary decisions have already been made there and Wimbledon will decide to cancel next Wednesday. There is no doubt about it. This is necessary in the current situation.

“It is completely unrealistic to imagine that with the travel restrictions that we currently have an international tennis tournament where hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world would travel. That is unthinkable.”

Earlier in March the year’s second Grand Slam, the French Open at Roland Garros in Paris, was postponed until September and the capital of France went into lockdown. The Coronavirus has led to the cancellation of the entire clay-court season.


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