TENNIS: All England Club's first female CEO Bolton to leave role this year

All England Lawn Tennis Club announced on Monday that chief executive Sally Bolton will step down from her role after this year’s Wimbledon Championships concludes in July.

Bolton became the first female chief executive of the club in 2020, succeeding Richard Lewis following his eight-year tenure. Before joining Wimbledon, Bolton served as chief executive of Wigan rugby league and Orrell rugby union clubs.

During her six-year leadership, Bolton guided Wimbledon through its return after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the tennis calendar. She also helped shape the club’s long-term expansion plans and introduced several structural changes to the Grand Slam schedule, including the move to a 14-day tournament format.

“I am proud of what we achieved together — particularly bringing The Championships back following the pandemic and in shaping a clear path for the future,” Bolton said in a statement.

“The All England Club is a special institution, and I look forward to seeing it continue to flourish in the years ahead.”

Bolton’s departure comes as top men’s and women’s players continue pushing organizers of the four Grand Slam tournaments for increased prize money and greater financial rewards.

The All England Club said details regarding Bolton’s successor will be announced at a later date.

This year’s Wimbledon Championships will run from June 29 to July 12. -Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in BengaluruEditing by Toby Davis/Reuters