Wimbledon To Go Ahead Next Year, With Or Without Fans

Wimbledon is "set to go ahead next year even if the tournament has to be staged behind closed doors." The event was canceled this summer for the first time since World War II and the All England Club is "planning for several scenarios" for '21. The AELTC is developing plans for a "full-capacity tournament -- which appears highly unlikely" -- a reduced-capacity event, and one held with no fans. Wimbledon have been "closely watching" the recent U.S. Open, played behind closed doors, and the French Open, where 1,000 fans a day were eventually admitted, down from a hoped-for 11,500. Both tournaments were "deemed overall successes, with very few positive Covid-19 cases and broad player support." Another major factor for Wimbledon is the fact that the AELTC will now be "unable to secure pandemic insurance," which ensured losses from this year's canceled tournament were minimized (London TELEGRAPH, 10/16).