Melbourne Park
Being there
Home of the Australian Open, one of the four Grand Slam events of tennis, usually held in January. The centrepiece is the Rod Laver Arena, where the final of the Australian Open is held. It is named after Australian tennis legend Rod Laver, the only player to have completed the Grand Slam twice, and also the most recent male player to have completed the Grand Slam when he did so in 1969.
The story
Melbourne Park is a sporting venue in the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Since 1988, Melbourne Park has been home of the Australian Open tennis tournament played annually in January. The park has multiple venues where the Australian Open matches take place. Rod Laver Arena is the largest venue with a capacity of 15,000, while John Cain Arena seats 10,500 and Margaret Court Arena 7,500. The three venues feature retractable roofs, allowing events to be played indoors or outdoors. Other venues include Show Court 3 and 1573 Arena which both have a 3,000 seating capacity, and the new 5,000-seat Kia Arena, which opened in 2022. In total there are 35 outdoor Greenset tennis courts at Melbourne Park.
Melbourne Park is owned by the Victorian Government and managed by the Melbourne & Olympic Parks Trust, which also runs the adjacent Melbourne Rectangular Stadium. The Yarra Park section of the Sports and Entertainment Precinct is run separately.