The 2020 edition of the Wimbledon tennis championships has been cancelled, marking the first time the sporting event has been put off since World War II. The announcement came after emergency talks between the various stakeholders over the last few days, with the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) revealing that it was impossible for the grasscourt Grand Slam, scheduled for June 29-July 12, to take place.

"It is with great regret that the main board of the All England Club and the committee of management of the championships have today decided that The Championships 2020 will be cancelled due to public health concerns linked to the coronavirus epidemic," the AELTC said in a statement.

"The 134th Championships will instead be staged from June 28 to July 11, 2021."

The cancellation leaves the season in disarray, with no tennis due to be played until mid-July.

Novak Djokovic and Simona Halep are the reigning singles champions.

The men's ATP Tour and women's WTA Tour are already suspended until at least June 7 but it looks extremely unlikely that any professional tennis will be possible throughout the summer as the pandemic worsens in Europe and the US.

The French Open, originally due to be held from May 24-June 7 has been postponed and controversially rescheduled by the French tennis federation for Sept 20-Oct 4, shortly after the end of the US Open.