Rod Laver Arena, Indoor sports arena in Melbourne, Australia
Rod Laver Arena is a multipurpose arena in Melbourne Park with 14,820 seats, rising to 15,400 for basketball and 14,200 for concerts with floor seating. Its dark facade carries a long white steel truss and illuminated lettering above a glass wall hung with advertising banners. A retractable roof, the first at any tennis venue worldwide, closes in about 25 minutes.
Construction began in 1985 on the site of the ageing Kooyong Stadium and was completed in 1987 by Civil & Civic at a cost of AU$94 million. The arena opened on 11 January 1988 for the Australian Open as the National Tennis Centre at Flinders Park. It was renamed Centre Court in 1996 and Rod Laver Arena on 16 January 2000, honouring a three-time Australian Open winner.
The arena is named after Rod Laver, a three-time Australian Open winner and frequent guest of honour who has handed the men's singles trophy to champions on several occasions. Each January it serves as the centre court of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the calendar year.
The facility sits on Batman Avenue and connects to several public transport lines, including trams and trains to Flinders Street Station. Inside there are food areas on all levels as well as lifts for wheelchair users.
The court surface changed from Rebound Ace to Plexicushion in 2007 and later to GreenSet in 2019 to improve bounce and reduce stress on joints. These upgrades came after player complaints about injuries and heat retention on the original material.
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