Este año no habrá Wimbledon debido al coronavirus / Wimbledon Is Canceled as Britain Remains on Lockdown

Aplazar el Grand Slam de hierba quedó totalmente descartado debido al clima en la ciudad. La ATP amenaza a Roland Garros con quitarle los puntos.

Londres.- El torneo de Wimbledon, que se iba a celebrar del 29 de junio al 12 de julio, ha sido cancelado por la pandemia de coronavirus que asola el planeta.

El tercer Grand Slam de la temporada sufre de esta manera su primera cancelación desde la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

«Con mucho dolor la directiva del All England Club y el comité organizador de Wimbledon han decidido hoy que los campeonatos de 2020 van a ser cancelados debido a la preocupación de la salud pública ligada a la pandemia de coronavirus», dijo el torneo en un comunicado.

La edición número 134 de Wimbledon se disputará del 28 de junio al 11 de julio de 2021.

Es la undécima vez en la historia que Wimbledon tiene que ser cancelado desde que arrancase su disputa -es el Grand Slam más antiguo- en 1888. Se tuvo que suspender en cuatro ocasiones durante la Primera Guerra Mundial y seis veces durante la Segunda, siendo el club bombardeado por los alemanes en varias ocasiones.

Wimbledon está protegido económicamente ante este incidente mediante un seguro contra pandemias. Es el único de los cuatro Grand Slams que posee dicho seguro, por lo que minimizará las pérdidas monetarias de un torneo que genera más de 250 millones de euros anualmente.

EFE

Wimbledon Is Canceled as Britain Remains on Lockdown

The tournament, the oldest Grand Slam, had previously been canceled only during World War I and II.

By Christopher Clarey

Wimbledon, the oldest Grand Slam tennis tournament and a cultural institution in Britain, will not be held in 2020, becoming the latest major sporting event disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak.

The cancellation, announced on Wednesday, was the first in 75 years for Wimbledon, which was founded in 1877 and had previously been called off only during World War I and World War II. But the pandemic caused the tournament’s leadership to cancel this year’s edition, which was scheduled from June 29 to July 12. The decision also led to the suspension of the preliminary grass-court season, halting all men’s and women’s tour event until July 13.

Britain remains under a lockdown that began last week, banning public gatherings of more than two people, permitting residents to leave their homes only to shop for necessities, to exercise and to travel to work.

“At present there are just no easy options; the way ahead is hard,” said Boris Johnson, the British prime minister, who tested positive for the novel coronavirus last week.

The tournament’s organizers said that the restrictions on large gatherings, travel and the strain on medical services made it impossible to prepare for the tournament properly without putting people at risk.

Postponing the tournament was ruled out, even as the government restrictions will be reviewed later this month. Organizers at the All England Club, which stages Wimbledon, felt they would be unable to properly prepare for the event at any point this summer, and they wanted to give certainty to players and others in the sport without making them wait.

Wimbledon has always been played on grass, which was once tennis’s most common playing surface but has long since been superseded by clay and synthetic hardcourts. The tournament has maintained its prestige and relevance, however, and its cancellation is a major blow to professional tennis, stripping the sport of one of its biggest showcases and depriving players of a significant earning opportunity.

More from the original source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/01/sports/tennis/wimbledon-canceled-coronavirus.html