Wimbledon set to be cancelled for first time since WWII

Wimbledon looks certain to be scrapped for the first time since World War II by tournament chiefs on Wednesday as the coronavirus wreaks further havoc on the global sporting calendar.

The cancellation of the only grasscourt Grand Slam tournament at the All England Club would leave the tennis season in disarray after the French Open was controversially moved and all events cancelled until June 7.

Wimbledon, in leafy southwest London, is due to run for two weeks from June 29, with Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep set to defend their singles titles.

A decision to scrap the tournament is widely expected, with the world struggling to contain the spread of COVID-19, which has infected more than 840,000 people worldwide and killed over 40,000.

Lead-up tournaments in the short grasscourt season are also likely to be scrapped following talks on Tuesday, understood to have involved Wimbledon chiefs and the game's governing bodies.

Organisers had earlier ruled out playing the Grand Slam behind closed doors and postponing the event would also create its own problems.

Three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker on Tuesday pleaded for tournament chiefs to wait longer before making a decision.

"I really hope Wimbledon will wait until the end of April for decision!" he tweeted.

"The tourney is first week of July... patience is a virtue."
"With that surface, the event, it seems, has to be played this time and there's a good chance it won't be."