Coronavirus: Wimbledon will collect 100 million from insurance

The cancellation of Wimbledon has caused disappointment to millions of fans around the world, but in the coffers of the All England Club it will bring more than 100 million euros. It is the coverage that the organization of the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world will collect thanks to an insurance policy, never so far-sighted, signed a few years ago. Unlike Roland Garros, forced to postpone from May to September, just to avoid losses of over 240 million euros, the 134th edition of the Championships was canceled two days ago with the first time since 1945. A painful choice, in the words of the organization , but that will not affect the budgets of the wealthy London club.

All thanks to a clause, introduced in the insurance contract, against the cancellation for viral pandemics, of the value of approximately 1.6 million euros per year. The idea of ​​extending insurance coverage dates back to 2003, following fears about the Sars epidemic. Since then, the organization has always maintained it, renewing it from year to year. Despite the tournament's total revenues exceeding € 260 million per year, this year the tournament will not have to face the huge preparation costs, the necessary modernizations, and the total prize money that exceeds € 50 million. "Of course we are lucky to have insurance that will help us solve all the problems," confirmed All England Club general manager Richard Lewis. Wimbledon - the Times writes today - is the only Slam to have a similar clause in the cancellation insurance contract.