Formula One organisers on Friday announced the season-opening grand prix in Melbourne won't go ahead - the first sporting event in Australia to be cancelled due to the coronavirus.

Australia's men's cricket team will play three one-day internationals against New Zealand in empty stadiums, starting with Friday's fixture in Sydney.

Other Australian codes are holding crisis meetings on Friday to consider similar responses as sports around the world suspend competition.

Elite European soccer leagues have been placed on hold - France, Spain and the Netherlands the latest nations to suspend all matches.

The English Premier League has called an emergency meeting after Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta contracted the coronavirus, with the club's entire squad now in quarantine.

Global tennis tournaments have been postponed until at least April 20.

In golf, the PGA Tour has cancelled the rest of The Players Championship and shut down other tournaments for the three weeks while the LPGA has postponed three tournaments.

After the NBA announced a suspension of its competition for at least 30 days, and possibly entire season, the United States' Major League Baseball announced its opening matches would be postponed at least a fortnight.

The National Hockey League suspended games while golf also took action - the PGA banning fans until at least April 5 and the LPGA postponing three tournaments, including the tour's first major.

In Australia, Formula One organisers cancelled the grand prix while spectators were queuing to enter Melbourne's Albert Park circuit on Friday.

F1 hierarchy made the decision on fresh advice from Victorian health officials and after nine people linked to the grand prix were tested for coronavirus.

One, a McLaren team member, tested positive while others, including four crew from the Haas team, were cleared.

Meanwhile, Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive Kevin Roberts said the decision to play games without any spectators was common sense "in the face of an unprecedented public health issue".

CA also called off a national women's tour of South Africa scheduled for next week - the first major international cricket series affected since the outbreak of the virus.

Football Federation Australia (FFA) has scrapped the Matildas' friendly against the United States in Utah scheduled for next month.

The FFA said A-League and W-League matches on Friday and over the weekend would go ahead but future fixtures would depend on advice from health authorities.

"This may involve playing matches behind closed doors in the future," the FFA's head of leagues Greg O'Rourke said.

Australia's football codes were in meetings to consider responses to the pandemic.

Rugby league's NRL season opened on Thursday night but officials were assessing whether fans should be locked out from future fixtures.

The AFL on Friday was also taking advice from health officials - AFLW matches are scheduled on Friday and over the weekend while the men's premiership season is slated to start next Thursday night.

Other sports including the National Basketball League and Super Rugby have matches scheduled on Friday and the weekend.

Rugby Australia officials were also in talks on Friday ahead of three Super Rugby matches on Australian soil this weekend.

The World Surf League also suspended all events this month but the Oceania Cycling Confederation said it planned to proceed with the Oceania BMX championships in Tasmania on March 25 and the Oceania road championships scheduled for April 5-6 in Brisbane.

Australian Associated Press