In this Feb 20, 2020 photo, Jennifer Brady of the US serves the ball to Garbine Muguruza of Spain during the WTA Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship, at the Dubai Tennis Stadium in the United Arab Emirates. (KARIM SAHIB / AFP)

BEIJING - Professional tennis ruling bodies WTA and ATP have postponed all their tournaments until July 13 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, according to a statement released on Wednesday.

This was a decision that the WTA and our members did not take lightly, however we remain vigilant in protecting the health and safety of our players, staff and fans.

Steve Simon, WTA chairman and CEO

The suspended tournaments include ATP events in Hertogenbosch, Stuttgart, London-Queen's, Halle, Mallorca, Eastbourne, as well as the WTA events in Hertogenbosch, Nottingham, Birmingham, Berlin, Eastbourne and Bad Homburg, in addition to the Wimbledon Grand Slam.

"This was a decision that the WTA and our members did not take lightly, however we remain vigilant in protecting the health and safety of our players, staff and fans," WTA chairman and CEO Steve Simon said.

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"While we share in the disappointment of the season's further postponement, our priority remains to support each other during this unprecedented time and work together as a sport in preparation of our return to play," he added.

"Health and safety remains the top priority as we navigate the challenges ahead in these unprecedented times, and we will do everything we can for the Tour to resume at the earliest opportunity once it is safe to do so," ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi echoed.