The All England Club will hold an emergency meeting next week to discuss the possible postponement or even cancellation of Wimbledon in the light of the coronavirus pandemic.
AFP Sport looks at the key questions facing the organisers of the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament.
What are the options for Wimbledon this year?
Wimbledon, scheduled to take place from June 29 until July 12, has been staged every year in peace time since 1877, shelved only during the two world wars.
The grass court season is relatively short, five weeks for the leading events, so Wimbledon would appear to have time on its side.
However, building and preparation work at the All England Club site in leafy south-west London takes two months to complete and is set to start at the end of April.
There is also the issue of when the coronavirus will peak and the United Kingdom has been badly hit.
Health is the top issue for an event which attracts not only the superstars of the sport, but also close to 500,000 spectators each year as well as 6,000 staff and around 3,200 accredited media.
Why can’t the tournament be played later in the year?
A slot has opened up in the calendar after the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics until next year.
However, Wimbledon organisers know that a postponement by a just fortnight to take advantage of that opening would solve little.
“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,” said a spokesman.
What would be the financial implications of a cancelled Wimbledon?
The tournament is an annual money-spinner. For example, in the 2017-2018 fiscal year, it was reported that Wimbledon generated $336 million with a pre-tax profit of $52 million. Over 90%of that was ploughed into British tennis.
The BBC, which broadcasts Wimbledon, will have a two-week black hole if the event is called off. It reportedly shells out around $72 million a year for the rights.
Who would be the losers of a cancelled Wimbledon?
As well as the purely sporting implications of a binned Wimbledon, Britain’s well-heeled would suffer a jolt to their busy summer social season.
The Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames, a feature since 1839, has already been cancelled. Wary eyes will now be cast towards June’s Royal Ascot, which has drawn British royalty and the cream of society since 1911.
The British tabloids would also be stripped of their two-week Wimbledon headline bonanza and celebrity fix.
