Tennis, soccer and US sports hit as coronavirus shreds calendar

LONDON/NEW YORK — The coronavirus pandemic shredded the global sporting calendar on Thursday, with men's tennis shut down for six weeks, top European soccer leagues placed on hold, NHL suspended and Major League Baseball's opening day postponed.

Speculation over whether the world's premier sporting events could go forward under the spectre of coronavirus culminated in a series of unprecedented postponements and cancellations across the globe, as the sporting world faced an uncertain future.

Major League Baseball said it would delay its season's opening day by at least two weeks, while motor racing's blue-riband Formula One season has also been stalled with the opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne called off, according to multiple media reports.

The first round of golf's Players Championship at Sawgrass continued, however, although the PGA announced a ban on spectators at all its events through April 5.

Many fans were already in place midway through the opening day's play at golf's unofficial fifth major but they will not be able to watch the second round on Friday.