Wimbledon 2021 - The Championships’ famous queue dropped for 2021 due to social distancing
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Updated 18/03/2021 at 11:43 GMT
The All England Club has confirmed spectators will not be able to camp out overnight for tickets in Wimbledon Park because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Organisers will wait as long as possible to confirm capacity, but expect the prestigious grass-court Grand Slam to go ahead with a reduced number of fans.
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Wimbledon will go ahead this summer without its famous and traditional queue due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The All England Club (AELTC) has confirmed social distancing measures will make it too difficult to allow fans to camp out in Wimbledon Park for tickets, but plan to bring it back for 2022.
The ticket resale, which allows ground pass holders to get a taste of Centre Court, will also be scrapped this summer due to the same reasons.
Wimbledon was unable to go ahead in 2020 because of the pandemic, but was one of few major sporting events to cover costs by including cancellation insurance.
Organisers are planning for the Grand Slam to go ahead with a reduced capacity, although it will be left until the last minute to decide how many spectators will be allowed into the grounds each day.
Under the government’s road map out of lockdown, all limits on social contact are planned to end on June 21, one week before the tournament begins, although it is unclear what capacities sporting venues will be able to operate at initially.
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'Henman Hill' is likely to be less packed this year
Image credit: Getty Images
Crowds of up to 10,000 are due to be permitted at events from 17 May, although there are reports that from June this will be increased.
Fans who received tickets in the ballot for the cancelled 2020 will be given priority this time round, with the remaining allocation to go on sale online from June.
The AELTC has also confirmed that under current guidance, it will be mandatory for all players and support staff to stay at designated hotels. It is unclear if this would affect the likes of Andy Murray, who lives not too far away in Surrey, while it would also disrupt Roger Federer, who traditionally rents out a house around Wimbledon Village.
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Specatators hoping for a show court ticket camp out in Wimbledon Park
Image credit: Getty Images
“These remain challenging and uncertain times, and our thoughts continue to be with all those affected by the pandemic”, said AELTC Chairman Ian Hewitt.
Although the promise of a return to a more normal existence is on the horizon, we are not there yet. As such, we have taken some key decisions in order to provide us with some certainty in our planning, and yet also to retain flexibility where we need it the most.
“We remain committed to delivering on our aspiration of staging the best Championships possible.
“In line with the UK Government’s Roadmap, we are cautiously optimistic that The Championships will play an exciting role as the country begins to embrace a return towards normality.
“We remain humbled and heartened by the passion for Wimbledon shown by our fans around the world, and we so look forward to seeing the world’s best tennis players setting foot on our courts once again.”
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