London – For the first time since World War II, there will be no Wimbledon winner this year.
Almost three months remain until the start of the tennis classic on the green lawn in south-west London. But the historic end could already be official this Wednesday. Then, after matching media reports, the organizers of the prestigious event will advise on this year’s edition, which is actually planned from June 29 to July 12. And anything but a rejection would be a huge surprise due to the pictures that are currently going around the world from the corona-plagued England.
The global tennis break is likely to continue. So far, after the cancellation of the entire clay-court season, the game is suspended until June 7th, after the French Open was moved to autumn by the French organizers.
But it is more than questionable whether it can be played again at all. In hardly any other sport are players, coaches, and referees so dependent on global freedom of travel as on the tennis tour. But the travel sector, in particular, is likely to be the last to return to normal in the global corona crisis.
This is why the boss of the Australian Open is already painting a horror scenario on the wall. “My personal view is that it will be difficult for tennis to come back this year,” said Craig Tiley of the “Sydney Morning Herald”. “We have to plan for the worst-case and hope for the best.”
First of all, the entire lawn season should be canceled with Wimbledon. With great impact also on the German market. Because there should be four tournaments for the first time this year between the French Open and Wimbledon: Stuttgart, Halle, Berlin, and Bad Homburg. But they too should fall victim to Corona.
