LONDON — Wimbledon will be allowed to have a full crowd of 15,000 at Centre Court for the men’s and women’s finals next month, a year after the tournament was canceled entirely because of the coronavirus pandemic, the British government said Monday.
The grass-court Grand Slam tournament, which begins June 28, can have 50% capacity at the start and that will increase to 100% by the close on July 10-11 with the women’s and men’s singles title matches.
The government’s decision to ease COVID-19 restrictions on crowds will also allow for increased attendances at soccer’s European Championship and other sporting events.
“We want to gather further evidence on how we can open up all big events safely, and for good,” Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said in a statement. “In the next few weeks this means more fans enjoying the Euros and Wimbledon, and some of our biggest cultural and sports events.”
In a statement, the All England Lawn Tennis Club said the health and safety of spectators and participants would be its highest priority, and that more details would be revealed this week.
“We are continuing to work closely with the Government to finalise the details of our participation in the Event Research Programme, including the requirements for Covid-status certification for spectators. We will be issuing a further update on Wednesday June 16 to confirm these details,” the statement said.
Wimbledon’s cancellation in 2020 was the first time since World War II that the tournament hadn’t been played.