Emergency meeting next week will decide fate of Wimbledon

The fate of Wimbledon will be decided at an emergency meeting next week, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) said Wednesday.

The AELTC confirmed that both postponement and outright cancellation are being considered amid the spread of the new coronavirus, which has infected over 450,000 people globally and caused over 20,000 deaths.

"Based on the advice we have received from the public health authorities, the very short window available to us to stage The Championships due to the nature of our surface suggests that postponement is not without significant risk and difficulty," the AELTC noted.

"Playing behind closed doors has been formally ruled out."

The tournament, which is the next Grand Slam on the tennis calendar in the wake of the French Open being postponed, is currently slated to begin June 29. The ATP and WTA Tours have suspended all play until at least June 7.