Wimbledon General Views – All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain – June 28, 2020. (File photo from REUTERS)
LONDON — Wimbledon will have capacity crowds from the singles quarter-finals onwards as COVID-19 restrictions on attendances are relaxed, the All England Club announced on Sunday.
Attendances have been capped at 50% since the start of the tournament last Monday although next weekend’s finals were to rise to 100% on the 15,000-capacity Centre Court.
After a successful opening week, the Championships have now been given permission to operate at full capacity from Tuesday’s women’s quarter-finals onwards on Centre Court and No.1 Court.
Wimbledon is being used as a pilot event for the safe return of crowds as part of the Government’s Events Research Programme.
It will mark the first time outdoor stadiums will be at full capacity at a sporting event in Britain since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down sports in the country in March 2020.