Wimbledon Championships 'will' take place in June 2021 even if COVID-19 situation persists

The coronavirus pandemic has upended the sporting world and then some over the last few months. Events all over the world have been cancelled or are being held without audiences. Marquee tournaments like the Wimbledon Championships that have been a permanent fixture in the tennis world for decades, were also forced to shut their gates to players and the public this year. While the later Grand Slams like French Open 2020 and the US Open were held with little to no spectators, the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club decided to call off the Wimbledon Championships entirely. 

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Wimbledon 2020 cancelled, but there's still hope

The Wimbledon 2020 cancellation was a historic one. Since 1877, the Championship has not stopped for anything but the World Wars. After French Open 2020 was postponed to September, it was thought that Wimbledon might also take place later in the year. This did not materialise, preventing men's singles champion Novak Djokovic and women's singles champion Simona Halep from mounting a title defence. The organizers have now announced that the grass-court slam will be held from June 28, 2021, to July 11, 2021. 

After his round one French Open 2020 defeat by Stan Wawrinka, former World No.1 Andy Murray said that he would like to play at Wimbledon next year, regardless of the presence or absence of spectators. He also said that since all the other tournaments have been pretty successful, it would be a motivating factor for Wimbledon. 

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Wimbledon 2020 insurance the winner

Wimbledon turned out to be one of the luckier tournaments in the sport as far as finances are concerned. Wimbledon was reportedly in for a £114 million windfall from their insurance providers, due to a pandemic clause they had added to their policy after the 2002-03 SARS outbreak. The Wimbledon 2020 insurance payout received massive media coverage and earned the organizers high praise for their foresight. 

Will the Wimbledon Championships return in 2021?

According to a report in The Times, the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club have taken the success of US Open 2020 and French Open 2020 into account and are open to the idea of hosting the Wimbledon Championships in 2021. The presence of spectators is still undecided, with some saying that there may be no spectators if the coronavirus situation in the UK remains as it is.

The organisers have decided not to hold the annual public ballot for the allotment of tickets for next year. Instead, if the 2021 Wimbledon Championships allow spectators, the seats will be filled by those who had purchased tickets for this year. This will be the 134th edition of Grand Slam. 

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Image Credits: Wimbledon Twitter