COVID-19: AELTC to take call on Wimbledon in emergency meeting

London [UK], Mar 26 : All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (AELTC) has said that it is continuing a detailed evaluation of all scenarios, including postponement and cancellation of the Wimbledon due to the coronavirus pandemic and has called for an 'emergency meeting'.

The meeting is scheduled for next week and AELTC said they are working closely with the UK government and public health authorities.

"The AELTC has been contingency planning since January, working closely with the UK government and public health authorities to follow their advice and understand the likely impact of COVID-19 and the government's emergency measures on The Championships, and our thoughts are with all those affected by this crisis at this time," Wimbledon said in a statement.

"An emergency meeting of the AELTC Main Board is scheduled for next week, and in preparation we are communicating closely with the LTA, and with the ATP, WTA, ITF and the other Grand Slams. The build for The Championships is due to begin at the end of April," the statement added.

It further stated that playing behind closed doors has been 'formally ruled out'.

"At this time, based on the advice we have received from the public health authorities, the very short window available to us to stage The Championships due to the nature of our surface suggests that postponement is not without significant risk and difficulty. Playing behind closed doors has been formally ruled out," the statement read.

Commenting on the current situation, AELTC Chief Executive, Richard Lewis CBE, said: "The unprecedented challenge presented by the COVID-19 crisis continues to affect our way of life in ways that we could not have imagined, and our thoughts are with all those affected in the UK and around the world. The single most important consideration is one of public health, and we are determined to act responsibly through the decisions we make. We are working hard to bring certainty to our plans for 2020 and have convened an emergency meeting of the AELTC Main Board for next week, at which a decision will be made."

( With inputs from ANI )