Report: Wimbledon to net £100M from pandemic insurance policy

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The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) has insurance that covers infectious diseases and, in the wake of Wimbledon's cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic, is putting together a claim that could exceed £100 million, according to Stuart Fraser of The Times.

Wimbledon, tennis' oldest Grand Slam, was officially called off last month for the first time since World War II.

The insurance policy costs roughly £1.5 million per year and was put in place amid concerns over the SARS outbreak in 2003, Fraser adds.

Wimbledon is believed to be the only Grand Slam insured against pandemics. Conversely, French Open organizers rescheduled the tournament from May to September because of the crisis, with the potential £230-million loss serving as one of the key factors behind the decision.

"We're fortunate to have the insurance and it helps," Wimbledon outgoing chief executive Richard Lewis said the day after the event was officially scrapped, according to Kevin Mitchell of the Guardian. "The insurers, the brokers, and everybody involved have been excellent to work with so far, but there's still a lot of work to do."

This summer's tournament was expected to generate £250 million in revenue.

The eventual payout is anticipated to be lower, however, since the AELTC won't be on the hook for various costs associated with staging the Grand Slam, including staff payments and player prize money.