The All England Lawn Tennis Club made the announcement after an emergency meeting amid the crisis.
“It has weighed heavily on our minds that the staging of The Championships has only been interrupted previously by World Wars,” club chairman Ian Hewitt said in a press release.
“But, following thorough and extensive consideration of all scenarios, we believe that it is a measure of this global crisis that it is ultimately the right decision to cancel this year’s Championships, and instead concentrate on how we can use the breadth of Wimbledon’s resources to help those in our local communities and beyond.”
Wimbledon was scheduled to take place from June 29 to July 12.
Instead, the next edition of the tournament will be held from June 28 to July 11, 2021.
The prestigious tournament was first held in 1877 and has been played every year since, with the exception of two stretches: from 1915-18 because of World War I, and from 1940-45 because of World War II.
Wimbledon now joins the growing list of major sporting events scrapped this year as the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, including the Tokyo Olympics, which have been pushed back 12 months.
Wimbledon is the first major tennis championship completely wiped out due to the virus.
