THE CANCELLATION OF WIMBLEDON could help Andy Murray – but may well be bad news for fans of SW19 legends Roger Federer and Serena Williams.
Murray’s ongoing injury problems made it touch and go whether he would have been ready to play at the All England in June.
Now he can make a decision about whether he needs further hip surgery without the mental distraction of wondering whether he would be missing his last chance to walk out on the Centre Court where he has twice been men’s singles champion.
It is of course possible that the thought of yet more rehabilitation will be enough to convince him to call time on his career completely.
But the Scot has shown such determination to keep going since limping away from Wimbledon in 2017, that it would be a surprise if he threw in the towel. And although he will turn 33 next month, he still has a bit of time on his side.
The same cannot be said of Federer and Williams, who will be nearly 40 by the time of the 2021 Championships – if indeed, they go ahead.
The eight-time men’s singles champion summed up his reaction to news of the cancellation in one word – “devastated” – and accompanied the Twitter post with a GIF that said: “There is no GIF for these things that I am feeling.”
Federer has his own injury issues. He was always going to miss the clay-court season after knee surgery.
But by the time of the 2021 Championships in SW19 he will be less than two months short of his 40th birthday.
Although the great man would surely be determined to say goodbye to Wimbledon properly, it has to be a real possibility that he will not play there again.
He surely will not be able to win the ninth title that would take him level with women’s record-holder Martina Navratilova.
Williams, the seven-time women’s champion, will turn 40 in September of next year.
Her quest to equal Margaret Court’s all-time landmark of 24 Grand Slam singles titles was already looking like being in vain. The American has been unable to regain form and fitness quite enough to win a Major since becoming a mum in September 2017.
Of the three, it is most likely that Williams will never play at Wimbledon again. There can be no certainty about Federer, either.
But for British tennis fans, the biggest disappointment would be Murray’s SW19 story being over. His history suggests he will do all he can to write at least one more chapter.
