Melbourne Park facts for kids
Melbourne Park is a famous sports place in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Since 1988, it has been the home of the Australian Open tennis tournament. This big tennis event happens every January.
The park has many facilities. It can host basketball, netball, and music concerts. It has also hosted ice skating, cycling, swimming, and motorsport events in the past.
Melbourne Park is owned by Melbourne & Olympic Parks. This group also manages the nearby Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.
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History of Melbourne Park
The park was first called Flinders Park until 1996. The leader of Victoria at the time, Jeff Kennett, changed its name to Melbourne Park. He wanted to help advertise the name "Melbourne" to people all over the world during big events.
Some people did not like this change. They compared it to renaming Stade Roland Garros (where the French Open is held) to "Paris Park." But over time, people in Melbourne accepted the new name.
Flinders Park was built in 1988 to host the Australian Open. The old place, Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, was too small. Building Flinders Park cost at least $94 million. When it opened, players and fans loved it. Many said it had the best facilities of all four Grand Slams.
In 1996, more money was spent to make the park even better. They added two larger courts with seats and eight new 'Ace' courts. They also created a big grassy area called ‘Garden Square’.
Events at Melbourne Park
Melbourne Park is best known for tennis. But it also hosts many other sports and music events all year. It is one of the biggest venues in the city for international performers. Only Docklands Stadium and the Melbourne Cricket Ground are larger.
The Australian Open is a huge event. It usually brings in over 800,000 people. Other sports played regularly at Melbourne Park include netball and basketball. Netball teams like Melbourne Vixens and Collingwood Magpies play home games there. The basketball team Melbourne United also plays at John Cain Arena.
Sometimes, events like the UCI Track Cycling World Championships and ice hockey games are held at Melbourne Park. Rod Laver Arena and Margaret Court Arena are often used for music concerts.
Arenas at Melbourne Park
Melbourne Park is special because it's the only Grand Slam tennis place with three courts that have a retractable roof. This means games can continue even if it rains or if it's too hot. All three main arenas are used for many different sports and music events. In total, Melbourne Park has 35 outdoor tennis courts.
Rod Laver Arena
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This arena used to be called Centre Court. Rod Laver Arena can hold almost 15,000 people and has a roof that can open and close. It opened in 1988 for the 1988 Australian Open. In 2000, it was named after Rod Laver, a great Australian tennis player.
Rod Laver Arena has seen many exciting tennis matches. Some famous ones include:
- Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer (2009 & 2017 finals) – These two tennis stars played two amazing finals. Both matches went to five sets and are considered classics.
- Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal (2012 final) – This match is thought to be one of the greatest ever. Djokovic won his third Australian Open title after almost six hours of play. It was the longest Grand Slam final in history.
- Lleyton Hewitt vs. Roger Federer (2003 Davis Cup semi-final) – Hewitt made an amazing comeback to beat Federer. This win helped Australia get into the Davis Cup final.
John Cain Arena
John Cain Arena is the second biggest court. It opened in 2000 and can hold 10,500 people. It also has a retractable roof. This arena has hosted many different events. These include boxing matches, netball and basketball finals, and concerts by famous artists.
During the Australian Open, John Cain Arena hosts many matches. It is known for its great atmosphere, especially when Australian players are on court. In 2011, the longest women's singles match in a Grand Slam happened here. Francesca Schiavone beat Svetlana Kuznetsova in a match that lasted four hours and forty-four minutes.
Margaret Court Arena
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Margaret Court Arena opened in 1988. It used to be called Show Court 1. After a renovation, its capacity grew to 7,500 seats. It also got a retractable roof, which is the fastest of its kind. It can open or close in just five minutes! The upgrades finished before the 2015 Australian Open. This arena is also used for music concerts and is a home court for the Melbourne Vixens netball team.
There has been some debate over the name of this arena. It is named after Margaret Court, a very successful Australian tennis player.
Show Court Arena
Construction on the Show Court Arena began in 2019. This open-air arena is partly built into the ground. It has a roof that protects most of the fans from bad weather. However, it does not have a retractable roof like the bigger arenas. This new arena will hold 5,000 people. It is expected to be ready for the 2022 Australian Open.
Show Courts
Besides the main arenas, Melbourne Park has 35 other tennis courts. Many of these have temporary seating for the Australian Open. There are two main Show Courts: Show Court 2 and Show Court 3. Each can seat about 3,000 people. These courts are used for tennis all year and are open to the public.
Redevelopments at Melbourne Park
Melbourne Park has had three big stages of upgrades since 2010. These changes were planned to make the precinct even better.
The first stage included building a new Eastern Plaza. This area has a special training facility for tennis players. A new bridge was also built, connecting Melbourne Park to AAMI Park. Margaret Court Arena was also upgraded in this stage. The new training facility opened in 2013. Margaret Court Arena's upgrades, including its new roof, were ready for the 2015 Australian Open. This first stage cost $366 million.
The second stage of upgrades started in 2015. Rod Laver Arena got a new look outside and better facilities inside for players. A new footbridge, called Tanderrum Bridge, was built to connect Melbourne Park to Birrarung Marr. A new building for offices and media was also completed. The Rod Laver Arena upgrades finished in 2018. Its retractable roof can now close in just five minutes, much faster than before. This second stage cost $338 million and finished in 2019.
The final stage of upgrades was announced in 2017 by the Victorian Government. Another $271.3 million was invested. This stage includes:
- A new 5,000-seat show court and arena.
- A central terrace with a new outdoor public space.
- A new function centre.
- A media centre and broadcast studios.
- New kitchen and logistics areas.
- Two more tennis courts.
Construction for this stage began in 2019. In total, almost $1 billion has been spent to upgrade Melbourne Park. All the work is expected to be finished by the 2023 Australian Open.
Transport and access
Melbourne Park is next to the Melbourne Cricket Ground. There are several bridges for people to walk between them. The park is a five-minute walk from Richmond and Jolimont train stations. You can also get there by tram (route 70) or walk from the city centre in about ten minutes.
Images for kids
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Show Court Arena in January 2022
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See also
In Spanish: Melbourne Park para niños
