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Wimbledon becomes latest sporting victim of coronavirus pandemic, cancelled for first time since WWII

By Daniel Faitaua, Breakfast Presenter
April 2, 2020

Before today, the tennis tournament hadn’t been called off since World War 2.

The Wimbledon tennis tournament is the latest sporting event to fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement, the All England Lawn Tennis Club made the inevitable announcement this morning with regret.

"The championship's 2020 will be cancelled due to public health concerns linked to the coronavirus epidemic," it said.

It will be the first time since the Second World War that Wimbledon has not been staged.

"Uppermost in our mind has been the health and safety of all of those who come together to make Wimbledon happen," said tournament chairman Ian Hewitt.

The 134th Championships will instead be staged from 28 June to 11 July 2021.

TennisCoronavirus PandemicUK and EuropeHealth

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