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Wimbledon has officially been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the All England Lawn Tennis Club confirmed Wednesday.
It's the first time since 1945 that tennis' oldest Grand Slam won't be staged; the tournament, first held in 1877, was put on hold from 1940-1945 due to World War II. The 134th edition of the tournament will instead take place in 2021 from June 28 to July 11.
"Uppermost in our mind has been the health and safety of all of those who come together to make Wimbledon happen - the public in the (United Kingdom) and visitors from around the world, our players, guests, members, staff, volunteers, partners, contractors, and local residents - as well as our broader responsibility to society's efforts to tackle this global challenge to our way of life," read a statement from the club.
The announcement comes two days after Dirk Hordorff, vice president of the German Tennis Federation, said there was "no doubt" the tournament would be called off amid the global crisis.
The United Kingdom has over 25,000 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, with 1,793 deaths. Nearly 900,000 people have contracted the virus worldwide.
Wimbledon is the second Grand Slam to be impacted by the pandemic; the French Open, originally slated for mid-May, has been pushed back to September. Postponing the competition in London wasn't a viable option, however, since summer conditions are required for play on grass.
Shortly after the official cancellation of Wimbledon, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) said it still plans to host the US Open as scheduled "at this time." That tournament is supposed to begin on Aug. 31.
Both the ATP and WTA Tours have suspended play until July 13.
