LONDON: The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) is all set to host this year’s Wimbledon after missing the event last year due to Covid pandemic.
“I would like to say how excited we are that Wimbledon will be back this summer, with the best tennis players in the world competing on our grass courts, in front of our passionate spectators,” said All England Club chairman Ian Hewitt.
But the traditional day of rest in the middle of the tournament would be scrapped from 2022.
At the tournament’s spring press briefing, Hewitt said developments in the care of grass courts meant 14 days of play was now deemed possible.
From 2022, to coincide with the centenary of Centre Court, Middle Sunday will become a permanent part of the tournament schedule, turning The Championships into a 14-day event.
“Thanks to improved grass court technology and maintenance over the past five years or so and other measures, we are comfortable that we are able to look after the courts, most particularly Centre Court, without a full day of rest,” Hewitt added.
While it will, necessarily, be different from Wimbledon as we know it, we are full of enthusiasm and totally committed to our return following last year’s cancellation,” said Hewitt.
(Source: wimbledon.com)