Australian Open Tennis Courts

The world renowned Australian Open is hosted in the sports city of Melbourne which continues to offer the best playing conditions with its well equipped and most modern courts. The Melbourne Park - first hosted the event in 1956 - continues to be the favorite for the tournament. The two courts, Ro Laver Arena and Vodafone Arena, that make it perfect for the legendary event were planned and designed by a local architect Peter Brook, who accomplished the work in 3 phases.

Rod Laver Arena - The First Phase
The Rod Laver Arena was completed in the first phase in 1987. The stadium, which was named after the legendry tennis player Rod Laver, the only winner of two Grand Slams, incorporates a retractable roof and a centre court with a capacity to accommodate over 16000 fans. Other features offered by the court include two match courts with approximately 6000 seats, 13 outside match courts and 5 indoor practice courts.

However, the best feature of this court remains the addition of a retractable roof that allows the play to be continued in case of rain or extreme heat. The innovative design of this roof ranks among the world's finest and best example of modern technology. It consists of two rolling sections across the court that takes only 30 minutes to open or close.

The Second Phase
The second phase of the construction was accomplished just before the 1996 Australian Open and drew a heavy expenditure amounting to AU$23 million. The second phase expanded the size of Melbourne Park and many additional features were included. The venue now offers the travelers two new courts with a seating capacity of 3000 and 8000 respectively, 8 new match courts, a central lawn area and a garden square that broadcast the event live on its screen.

Vodafone Arena - The Third Phase
The third phase of the Australian Open, the Vodafone Arena was finished in 2000. The court offers a seating capacity of 10,000 and includes a number of shops and outlets of food and snacks. The most recent innovation occurred in 2008, when the Australian Open Court surface were replaced with the new surface, plexicushion which was introduced as a remedy for the high temperature on the ground.