National Tennis Centre (Australia)
| The Tennis Centre | |
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The venue at night, viewed from Batman Avenue in 2006
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| Full name | Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park |
|---|---|
| Former names | National Tennis Centre at Flinders Park (1988–96) Centre Court (1996–2000) |
| Location | Olympic Boulevard and Batman Avenue Melbourne VIC 3001 Australia |
| Owner | Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust |
| Operator | Tennis Australia |
| Capacity | 16,200 (concert) 15,400 (basketball / netball) 14,820 (seated) |
| Record attendance | 16,183 - Justin Timberlake, 18 November 2007 |
| Surface |
Plexicushion (tennis) Hardwood (basketball / netball) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1985 |
| Opened | 11 January 1988 |
| Renovated | 1995 |
| Construction cost |
A$94 million (Original) ($230 million in 2010 dollars) $23 million (1996 renovations) ($34 million in 2010 dollars) |
| Architect | |
| Main contractors | Lendlease (formerly Civil & Civic) |
| Tenants | |
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Australian Open (Tennis) (1988–present) Melbourne Tigers (NBL) (1992–2000) South East Melbourne Magic (NBL) (1992–98) Victoria Titans (NBL) (1998–2000) 2006 Commonwealth Games |
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| Website | |
| Venue Website | |
Coordinates: 37°49′18″S 144°58′42″E / 37.82167°S 144.97833°E
Rod Laver Arena is a multipurpose arena located within Melbourne Park, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The arena is the main venue for the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tennis of the calendar year.
Replacing the aging Kooyong Stadium, construction on the arena began in 1985 and was completed in 1987 at a cost of AU$94 million. It opened on 11 January 1988 for the 1988 Australian Open.
Originally known in 1988 as the National Tennis Centre at Flinders Park, the arena has officially changed its name twice. First in 1996, when it was known as the Centre Court, and again on 16 January 2000 to honour Rod Laver, a three-time winner of the Australian Open and one of the world's greatest tennis players.
Rod Laver Arena has a seating capacity of 14,820, with a capacity of 15,400 for sports such as basketball, when extra seats are added around the court, and up to 16,200 for concerts with floor seating. The arena currently attracts over 1.5 million visitors per year.
The arena was the first in Australia to have a retractable roof venue, and it is the largest indoor arena in Australia without a permanent roof (not counting the 56,347 seat Docklands Stadium, also in Melbourne, which is classed as a stadium rather than an arena). It is also the second largest indoor arena in Australia behind the 21,032 capacity Sydney Super Dome. The arena's retractable roof allows competitors to continue play during rain or extreme heat.
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