A REAL KICK IN THE GRASS

Loss of event would have a serious impact on the sport in Britain

Youngsters will consider future if they lose a year

A SUMMER without Wimbledon would be like strawberries minus the cream.

But with the All England Club (AELTC) set to cancel the championships in the next 24 hours, there could be a deep financial and cultural impact on British sport and society.

Wimbledon gives 90 per cent of its profits each year to the LTA to invest in grassroots tennis.

That sum was £40.8million from a turnover of £254.8m in 2018, when accounts were last published.

The grass court Grand Slam has invested in “comprehensive” insurance to cover loss of income from tickets and broadcasting revenue because of the coronavirus pandemic.

But such is the complexity of any claim, it could take weeks to work out how much support the All England Club can give the sport over the next year, although insiders insist they will continue to back British tennis.

Wimbledon profits help the LTA run other grass court events in the build-up to the championships, increase participation and invest in a performance budget for the leading players.

But the LTA still recorded an £8.8m deficit in 2018 and has lost more than £12m in the last two years.

“It has affected every aspect of life in so many ways,” said former player Annabel Croft, who runs her own tennis academies in London and Portugal.

“If the LTA get the money, it is fine. If they don’t, it could have deeper ramifications through to the grassroots.

“And there must be a lot of young players on the cusp of making it into pro tennis who will be reconsidering their futures after losing a whole year. ”

Emergency teleconferences involving the 12 members of the Wimbledon board and senior management began yesterday and will go on until a decision is made.

Preparations for the tournament are due to start this month but there is uncertainty over whether travel restrictions will still apply in June. In a statement last week, the AELTC ruled out playing the event behind closed doors and said postponing from June 29 “is not without significant risk and difficulty”.

The grass courts and the need to play late in the evenings means Wimbledon has to be held in the summer.

Two-time Wimbledon mixed doubles champion Jamie Murray said: “It’s difficult to move the tournament back because you’re running into other tournaments that are, for the moment, still on the schedule.”

Craig Tiley, who ran January’s Australian Open despite the threat of bushfires, doubts if any more events will be played this year. “For tennis to come back this year is going to be tough,” he said. “It relies on global travel and I think that’s probably the last thing that’s going to come back. I think sports that have a domestic focus are in a strong position and sports that have a global focus are more challenged.”

The annual showcase for tennis at SW19 – and the chance for more magical memories – is likely to be the next victim. Croft added: “It will be very strange if we have a summer without Wimbledon.

It is such a special time of year and a big part of our British summer. But it seems we will have to accept it and move on.

“When sport comes back, we are going to appreciate it more than we did before.”