Ken Rosewall Arena roof unveiled
The new-look Ken Rosewall Arena, featuring its new canopy roof, has officially been unveiled, ahead of the ATP Cup Sydney which commences on Friday.
The 10,500-seat main arena at the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre has undergone a significant redevelopment since the final Sydney International tournament was held at the venue in January 2019.
Not only will it be the home of the final of the new ATP Cup, but it’ll also become of the new home of netball in New South Wales, with the state’s two Super Netball sides (NSW Swifts & Giants Netball) set to call Ken Rosewall Arena home from 2020 onwards.
The all-weather canopy roof is the centrepiece of the $50.5m transformation of the arena, which has also seen new seating, lights, videoboards and sound system installed, as well as a new floor to allow for netball. The venue also has a fresh new logo and signage to compliment the upgrade.
The striking new roof is an innovative cable-tension and PTFE fabric design, a first for stadia in Australia, designed by Cox Architecture in conjunction with Arup. Project construction was delivered by AW Edwards with sporting shade specialist Fabritecture.
The Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre (originally known as the Sydney International Tennis Centre) opened in 1999 ahead of the Sydney Olympics, where it hosted the tennis tournament.
Australian tennis great Ken Rosewall was on hand for the official unveiling of the roof at the venue named after him, ahead of the new ATP Cup which commences around the country on Friday.
Preliminary rounds will be played in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, with the finals held at the new-look Sydney venue. It’s part of a new-look summer of tennis in Australia, which also includes the new Adelaide International to be played at a new-look Memorial Drive which also features a new roof. The Australian Open commences on January 20 at Melbourne Park.
The Ken Rosewall Arena at the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre has been upgraded with a roof ahead of the #ATPCup.
— Biola Solace-Chukwu (@Beeorlicious) December 30, 2019
Australian tennis legend Ken Rosewall unveiled the facility alongside players Grigor Dimitrov, David Goffin, Borna Coric and Jamie Murray. pic.twitter.com/kaNylk1giF
The first Super Netball match will be played at Ken Rosewall Arena on Sunday, May 3, when the NSW Swifts host the Sunshine Coast Lightning in round one of the 2020 competition.
