37°49′22″S 144°58′48″E / 37.82267°S 144.98005°E / -37.82267; 144.98005
71-767: John Cain Arena is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment arena located within Melbourne Park in Melbourne , Victoria , Australia. It is the second-largest venue and show court for the Australian Open , the first Grand Slam professional tennis tournament held each calendar year. The arena also hosts various other sporting and entertainment events throughout the year. The arena has sometimes been dubbed "The People's Court" during Australian Open matches, owing to its accessibility for Australian Open patrons with
142-723: A WNBL game between the Southside Flyers and the Sydney Flames following increased interest in the match due to the participation of Hall of Fame player Lauren Jackson . The game set a WNBL record of 7,681 spectators. Netball is played regularly at the venue. It is the home court of the Melbourne Vixens and Melbourne Mavericks in the Suncorp Super Netball competition. The Melbourne Phoenix and Melbourne Kestrels also played games at
213-502: A retractable roof , allowing play to continue in the event of rain or extreme heat . The courts were Plexicushion from 2008 to 2019. Formerly known as Centre Court, Rod Laver Arena has a capacity of nearly 15,000 and has a retractable roof. The arena was opened in 1988 prior to that year's championships and was originally known as the National Tennis Centre at Flinders Park . It was not until January 2000 that
284-411: A capacity of 10,500, and also has a retractable roof. Completed in 2000 for a cost of $ 65 million, the arena has hosted a wide variety of sporting and other events since its inception including boxing bouts such as Anthony Mundine vs. Lester Ellis , as well as Grand Finals in netball and basketball and concerts performed by Scissor Sisters , B. B. King , Nicki Minaj and One Direction . During
355-478: A capacity of 15,400 for sports such as basketball , when extra seats are added around the court, and up to 14,200 for concerts with floor seating. The arena currently attracts over 1.5 million visitors per year. The arena was the first tennis venue in the world and the first arena of any kind in Australia to have a retractable roof installed. The idea for such a roof came about at the suggestion of John Cain ,
426-685: A concert for Life Tour supporting their album History of Tomorrow . From 2011 to 2013 the venue hosted the Melbourne judges' audition stages of the Seven Network singer search program The X Factor . Its also been the home to the Victorian State Schools Spectacular since 2008. In November 2022, a stampede occurred outside the venue prior to a concert for American singer Steve Lacy , with poor organization by stadium management being blamed for it. The concert
497-799: A full house in attendance. The arena was also home to the South East Melbourne Magic (later renamed the Victoria Titans in 1998 after merging with the North Melbourne Giants ) with both teams attracting some of the largest crowds in the history of the NBL . Rod Laver Arena was also the site of the first ever "outdoor" pro basketball game in Australia when the Magic hosted the Adelaide 36ers on 31 December 1997 with
568-456: A ground pass (i.e. the cheapest form of ticketing available) and the close proximity of spectators to the players, with the arena developing a reputation for being an incredibly passionate venue with a terrific atmosphere, particularly when Australians are playing on the court. Construction commenced in the late 1990s, and was completed in 2000. The arena features a cycling track, which is covered over with seating for court events. The tennis court
639-492: A ground pass (i.e.: cheapest form of ticketing available) since 2015 and subsequently the arena has developed a reputation for being, like most outdoor courts, an incredibly passionate venue with terrific atmosphere, particularly when Australians are playing on the court. Formerly known as Show Court 1, Margaret Court Arena was opened in 1988 along with the Melbourne Park precinct. Originally seating 6,000 spectators,
710-462: A large grassy space, now known as 'Garden Square'. The organisation responsible for managing the precinct is the Melbourne & Olympic Parks Trust, which was established in October 1995 in accordance with the provisions of the amended Melbourne & Olympic Parks Act 1985. In April 2018, Tennis Australia revealed it harboured ambitions to take over management rights of the entire precinct, with
781-614: A larger crowd. During construction, the project was referred to as the Melbourne Park Multi-Purpose Venue . When it opened in 2000, a sponsor was immediately assigned naming rights and it became known as the Vodafone Arena . This arrangement lasted for eight years. On 12 May 2008, it was announced that its name would change to Hisense Arena in a multimillion-dollar deal that was originally supposed to last six years. Meanwhile, temporarily throughout
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#1732794276769852-412: A new eastern-facing primary entrance, an expanded public concourse space and other amenities designed to "open up" the arena and provide enhanced facilities and entry points for spectators. A new four-level Player Pod was constructed which increased the space for training, treatment, recovery, dining and lounging for athletes at major tournaments such as the Australian Open . In addition, the venue's roof
923-571: A record-breaking 18 concerts at the venue in the winter of 2013 with her Truth About Love Tour , beating her own record of 17 shows from the Funhouse Tour in 2009. She is currently the artist who holds the record for most shows at the venue, with 53 shows. American singer Olivia Rodrigo made her Australian debut at this venue on her Guts Tour , performing shows on October 9, 10, 13 and 14, 2024. American singer Billie Eilish performed four shows on her Happier Than Ever, The World Tour at
994-411: Is a GreenSet surface (between 2008 and 2019 the surface was Plexicushion ) and the roof is retractable , making it one of the few venues where tennis can be played during rain. The venue is able to hold a maximum spectator capacity of 11,000 for events such as music concerts where general floor seating or standing room is available. For basketball , netball and tennis the capacity is 10,500. When
1065-431: Is a multipurpose arena located within Melbourne Park , in Melbourne , Victoria , Australia. The arena is the main venue for the Australian Open , the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the calendar year. Replacing the ageing Kooyong Stadium , construction on the arena began in 1985. It was undertaken by Civil & Civic and was completed in 1987 at a cost of AU$ 94 million. It opened on 11 January 1988 for
1136-478: Is classed as a stadium rather than an arena). It is also the second largest indoor arena in Australia behind the 21,032 capacity Sydney Super Dome . The arena's retractable roof allows competitors to continue play during rain or extreme heat. Rod Laver Arena is equipped with the Hawk-Eye Live line-calling system which has been used in place of line judges since the 2021 Australian Open. Rod Laver Arena
1207-530: 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. The park was originally known as Flinders Park until 1996, when then- premier , Jeff Kennett decided to change the name to Melbourne Park, mainly to advertise
1278-490: Is the focal point of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park , and besides tennis , the arena has hosted basketball , motorbike super-crosses , music concerts , conferences, professional wrestling events and ballet . Other than for tennis, during sporting events or concerts, a section of the southern lower seating bowl is retracted to allow space for a stage or special floor level seating. Rod Laver Arena acts as
1349-458: Is the main home court of National Basketball League (NBL) teams Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix . Formerly, the Victoria Titans and South Dragons used it as their home, until high rental prices forced the teams to find other venues. Until this move the venue was largely devoid of sporting events outside of the two weeks of the Australian Open tournament held each January. The Dragons, founded in 2006 until they withdrew from
1420-494: The 1573 Arena ) and Court 3 (formerly known as Show Court 3), each with a permanent seating capacity of approximately 3,000. Like all the other tennis courts at Melbourne Park, these show courts remain as tennis courts throughout the year and are available for use by the general public. The remaining courts at Melbourne Park are outdoor courts located mostly on the western side of the precinct closer to Birrarung Marr . They have seating of anywhere from 50 to 2,500 installed for
1491-475: The 1988 Australian Open . Originally known in 1988 as the National Tennis Centre at Flinders Park , the arena has officially changed its name twice. First in 1996, when it was known as the Centre Court , and again on 16 January 2000 to honour Rod Laver , a three-time winner of the Australian Open and one of the world's greatest tennis players. Rod Laver Arena has a seating capacity of 14,820, with
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#17327942767691562-561: The 2006 Commonwealth Games the stadium was used for basketball and other sports. Its name was changed to Multi-Purpose Venue with all Vodafone-related signage covered over with black shrouds because Telstra , a competitor of Vodafone, was a major sponsor of the games. In 2004 and 2012 , the UCI Track Cycling World Championships were held at the venue. Other events were UCI World Cup events and Australian Madison Championships. On 14 and 15 June 2013,
1633-505: The 2006 Commonwealth Games , the Hisense Arena reverted to being called "Multi Purpose Venue" for the duration of the sporting event. In 2014 the naming contract with the multinational Hisense was extended for a further three years. Despite the contract ending at the conclusion of 2017, Hisense Arena remained the name of the venue for several more months, effectively for free. In August 2018, Tennis Australia announced it had bought
1704-418: The Australian Open , John Cain Arena hosts numerous day and night matches up to the end of the fourth round. Most notably it is the venue of the longest women's singles match in a Grand Slam. Francesca Schiavone defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova 6–4 1–6 16–14 in four hours and forty-four minutes at the fourth round of the 2011 Australian Open . John Cain Arena has been accessible for Australian Open patrons with
1775-621: The Docklands and the nearby Melbourne Cricket Ground . Aside from the tennis tournament, which typically attracts crowds in excess of 800,000, the park has facilities that allows other sports to be played regularly at Melbourne Park's arenas, such as netball ( Super Netball teams, Melbourne Vixens and Collingwood Magpies play home matches at John Cain Arena and Margaret Court Arena ) and basketball ( National Basketball League team Melbourne United play home matches at John Cain Arena). In
1846-554: The Show Court Arena (known commercially as Kia Arena ) commenced on the site of the old Eastern Courts 16–23, between Rod Laver and John Cain Arenas. The open-air arena is partially sunken into the ground and has a roof structure capable of protecting most of the spectators from the extremities, however unlike the larger arenas it does not have a retractable roof capable of being shut during inclement weather. Construction of
1917-526: The 30 minutes it took to close beforehand. The Stage 2 redevelopment cost $ 338 million and was fully completed in September 2019. The final phase of redevelopment (Stage 3) was announced in April 2017 by the Victorian Government ; a further $ 271.3 million was invested to complete upgrades for Melbourne Park. Construction of Stage 3 began in April 2019. The signature elements of this phase of redevelopment
1988-596: The Australian Boomers and the New Zealand Tall Blacks . In front of 15,062 fans Australia ran out 71–59 winners. Rod Laver Arena was the focal point of the 12th FINA World Aquatics Championships , which were held from 17 March to 1 April 2007. A temporary swimming pool, named the Susie O'Neill Pool after Australian swimming champion Susie O'Neill , was built at significant cost. Rod Laver
2059-646: The Australian Boomers on numerous occasions, including playing against the Magic Johnson All-Stars in 1995, as well as hosting the 1997 FIBA Under-22 World Championship , which Australia won for the first time. The arena also played host to the 1993 NBL All-Star Game with the NBL Stars defeating the Boomers 124–119. On 15 August 2015, Rod Laver Arena played host to the opening game of the 2015 FIBA Men's Oceania Basketball Championship between
2130-563: 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. Besides, there is the Show Court 3 and 1573 Arena which both have a 3,000 seating capacity, and the new 5000-seat Kia Arena (opened in 2022). In total there are 35 outdoor Greenset tennis courts at Melbourne Park. Melbourne Park
2201-426: The Australian Open. Opened in September 2021, Centrepiece replaced the old function and media centre, is located near Garden Square and Rod Laver Arena . The building is capable of hosting large events and banquets of varying capacity inside the grand ballroom, and is also equipped with media and television broadcast facilities, studios and meeting rooms, and a 250-seat auditorium. The Melbourne Park Redevelopment
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2272-570: The Magic and Tigers, saw the NBL's largest ever single game Grand Final crowd when 15,064 watched the Magic defeat the Tigers 88–84. 1992 saw the first time two teams from the one city had reached the NBL Grand Final series when the Magic faced fellow Melbourne Park tenants the Tigers. With all games being played at the league's largest venue a record aggregate of 43,605 (average 14,535) fans saw
2343-411: The Magic win their first championship two games to one, coming back to win games two and three 115–93 and 95–88 after losing game one 98–116. In all, Rod Laver Arena hosted 287 NBL games including NBL Championship deciders in 1992, 1996, 1997 and 1999, and played host to its last game in April 2000 before Melbourne Arena opened in 2000 and became the new home of basketball in Melbourne. The arena hosted
2414-630: The Melbourne Tigers) and the Melbourne Vixens announced their intentions to move from the arena to the smaller capacity Margaret Court Arena (MCA) from 2015. However, Melbourne United abandoned their move to MCA after the 2015–16 NBL season and continue to play their games at John Cain Arena, while the Vixens will continue to split their games between John Cain and Margaret Court Arenas, with John Cain used for games expected to attract
2485-499: The Rod Laver Arena. Eilish performed at the Rod Laver Arena from 22 September 2022 to 24 September 2022, and again on 26 September 2022. Eilish will return to Rod Laver Arena in 2025 on her Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour , on March 4, 5, 7 and 8 as part of the final shows of said tour. British singer Dua Lipa will perform five shows from March 17 through March 23 2025, for her Radical Optimism Tour . From 1988 until 2007,
2556-533: The arena after their usual home venue was booked for a concert. On 10 February 2019, the venue hosted UFC 234: Adesanya vs. Silva . On September 23 and 24, 2023, the arena hosted National Hockey League (NHL) pre-season ice hockey when the Arizona Coyotes faced the Los Angeles Kings . Rod Laver Arena was one of the host venues, along with Margaret Court Arena and Melbourne Arena , for
2627-647: The arena in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy before merging to form the Vixens. The Vixens also used it for home games in the ANZ Championship . The Australian Diamonds sometime play home international fixtures at the venue. The venue also hosted the 2016 , 2017 and 2018 Fast5 Netball World Series . The largest netball attendance at the arena was on 20 November 2004 when 10,300 saw the Diamonds defeat New Zealand 53 to 51. During
2698-401: The arena underwent a renovation which increased the capacity to 7,500 and added a retractable roof – the fastest of its kind in the world, opening or closing in just five minutes. The redevelopment was completed prior to the 2015 Australian Open . The arena is also used for regular music concerts and is one of the two home courts of Super Netball team the Melbourne Vixens . Conjecture over
2769-486: The arena was named after one of the greatest Australian tennis players, Rod Laver . Rod Laver Arena has played host to some of the most memorable tennis matches, such as: The second largest court is John Cain Arena (originally known as the Multi-Purpose Venue, as it was referred to during the 2006 Commonwealth Games , Vodafone Arena, Hisense Arena and Melbourne Arena) which was opened in 2000. It has
2840-444: The arena was the signature element of the $ 271.5 third stage of redevelopments of Melbourne Park and was completed prior to the 2022 Australian Open. The arena seats 5,000 spectators. Aside from a further 35 match day and practice courts, many of which have temporary standing of up to 2,500 capacity attached to them for the Australian Open, there are two Show Courts at Melbourne Park, Show Court 2 (known for commercial purposes as
2911-467: The arena would undergo a redevelopment of its exterior facade and interior customer features, such as bars and other facilities. The refurbishment constituted the main aspect of the $ 338 million second stage of redevelopments that occurred at the Melbourne Park precinct , which included a new pedestrian bridge linking Melbourne Park and Birrarung Marr and a new media and administration centre. Construction began in April 2016. The refurbishment included
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2982-479: The burgeoning tournament. Flinders Park's construction was completed in 1988 at a cost of at least $ 94 million. The unveiling of the new precinct was met with incredibly positive reviews by players and spectators, with some labelling the facilities and amenities the best of the four Grand Slams . Expansion of the precinct next occurred in 1996, when a further $ 23 million was invested to create two fully seated and larger show courts and eight new 'Ace' courts, as well as
3053-469: The centre court for the Australian Open tennis championships every year. The player after whom the arena is named, Rod Laver , is a frequent guest of honour at Championships and has presented the trophy to the men's singles champion on several occasions. Laver is widely considered the best player of his generation and amongst the best players of all time. Rod Laver Arena was the scene for Australia's famous Davis Cup victories in 2003 . The arena hosted
3124-612: The competition after winning the championship in 2009, played three seasons at the arena. For the 2012–13 NBL season , the Tigers (now renamed Melbourne United ) returned to the venue, and played 7 of their 13 home games at the arena. They later shifted all home matches to the venue. The Phoenix, who made their debut in the 2019–20 NBL season , share their home with John Cain Arena and the State Basketball Centre in Wantirna South . The largest basketball crowd
3195-455: The first week of the tournament, at the same time as matches being played on the adjacent Rod Laver Arena . The first Australian Open match played at the venue was on 15 January 2001 and lasted less than ten minutes, when Monica Seles advanced to the second round after Brie Rippner was felled with injury in the second game of the match. The first match completed on the court was Tim Henman 's first round win over Hicham Arazi . John Cain Arena
3266-540: The home of Melbourne basketball when the Melbourne Tigers (now known as Melbourne United ) defeated the Canberra Cannons 112–104. The venue was actually criticised in its early days as a basketball venue due to the poor quality of the backboards and rings used. However, these concerns were quickly addressed and the arena became known as one of the best in the country, especially with anywhere near
3337-469: The hope of maximising its use for other sporting and cultural events outside of the Australian Open. While it is best known for being a tennis venue, Melbourne Park also plays host to a number of other sports and musical events throughout the year. The venue tends to be used by more popular international performers, as it is the largest the city has to offer, excluding the Docklands Stadium in
3408-474: The late State Premier of Victoria, who is regarded as a critical figure in keeping the Australian Open in Melbourne in the mid-1980s. The new name came into effect in December 2020. Every year, the venue hosts many matches as part of the Australian Open tennis tournament. It has usually only been used for day matches in the first 10 days of the tournament. In 2012 the venue began hosting night matches during
3479-665: The name "Melbourne" to a wide international audience during events held there. The decision was met with strong opposition, and was compared by some to renaming Stade Roland Garros (home to the French Open in Paris) "Paris Park". However, over the years, the name has become accepted by Melburnians. Flinders park was developed in 1988 beside the Jolimont Yard as a new precinct to host the Australian Open . The previous venue, Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club , had become too small for
3550-571: The name of the arena has caused significant debate in Australian society. Named in honour of Margaret Court , statistically Australia's greatest Grand Slam singles player, Court has sparked controversy over her public views on LGBT issues. As recently as 2017 there were calls from several public figures for the arena's name to be changed. Venue management has previously stated that it does not support Court's comments and "embrace[s] equality, diversity and inclusion". In April 2019 construction of
3621-503: The naming rights and had elected to call it Melbourne Arena , saying it preferred a non-commercial title "iconic with the city". The non-corporate name was to be in effect for five years, though the Victorian Government and Tennis Australia did not rule out extending the arena's name beyond that period. On 3 February 2020, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced that the arena would be renamed "John Cain Arena" in honour of John Cain Jr. ,
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#17327942767693692-552: The park as part of this stage was the installation of a central logistics hub which included a kitchen and loading dock, additional grassed public spaces, and two match tennis courts with seating for several hundred spectators. Construction of the Centrepiece facility was completed in August 2021. Overall, a total of $ 972 million was spent on the multi-year redevelopment of the Melbourne Park precinct. Completion of all works at
3763-504: The past Melbourne Park has hosted ice skating , track cycling , international swimming and motorsport events. The Rod Laver Arena and Margaret Court Arena venues are most commonly used for music concerts . All three stadium courts/arenas are multi-purpose, being used for a variety of events, including the Australian Open commitments in January. Melbourne Park is the only Grand Slam tennis venue to have three courts installed with
3834-621: The precinct was achieved in December 2021, shortly prior to the 2022 Australian Open in January. Melbourne Park is adjacent to the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Yarra Park , and there are several pedestrian bridges linking the two across the separating railway lines. The park is five minutes walk from Richmond and Jolimont railway stations, and five minutes from the city centre by tram ( route 70 ) or ten minutes on foot. Rod Laver Arena Rod Laver Arena
3905-409: The premier of Victoria around 1980, who came up with the compromise idea after Tennis Australia requested the government to build an open-air tennis facility next to a preexisting government project to build a closed-roof entertainment centre. The Rod Laver Arena is the largest indoor arena in Australia without a permanent roof (not counting the 56,347 seat Docklands Stadium , also in Melbourne, which
3976-541: The roof open. The largest basketball crowd at Rod Laver Arena was set in 1996 when 15,366 attended a local derby game between the Magic and Tigers. This remains the second largest NBL basketball attendance ever in Australia behind the 17,803 who attended a game between the Sydney Kings and West Sydney Razorbacks at the Sydney Super Dome in 1999. Game two of the 1996 NBL Grand Final series, also between
4047-418: The second Melbourne Esports Open on the weekend of 31 August to 1 September 2019. It featured three major regional esports tournaments across League of Legends , Overwatch and Rainbow Six Siege . Rod Laver Arena consistently hosts many of Melbourne's highest-profile musical and entertainment concerts . In 2009, the arena polled 9th out of 50 worldwide top arenas for first-quarter ticket sales, making it
4118-473: The second highest ticket selling venue in Australia, second to Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena , which placed third. In 2012, the arena became Australia's highest selling venue and 4th in the world, based on 2011 ticket sales. Rod Laver Arena's record attendance of 16,183 was set on 18 November 2007 for a Justin Timberlake concert during his FutureSex/LoveShow tour. American rock singer P!nk performed
4189-483: The semi-final and Final, at which Australia was successful in recording their 28th Davis Cup title. Aside from tennis, the sport most often held at Rod Laver Arena in the past was basketball . The arena's first basketball game was in 1991 when the Australian Boomers played host to a touring All-Star team headlined by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , with over 15,000 in attendance. On 3 April 1992, the arena became
4260-436: The surface of the court at the Australian Open and on Rod Laver Arena was Rebound Ace , which was coloured green and played slowly. The surface was also blamed for many injuries in the Australian Open, with many players claiming that the surface became sticky in hot weather, making it difficult to play on. In 2008, the surface was changed to Plexicushion , and coloured blue. The surface is similar in properties to DecoTurf ,
4331-519: The surface used in the US Open . This has more cushioning and more give than Rebound Ace. In 2019 the surface was changed again to Greenset , though retained its blue appearance and similarities to the Plexicushion. It has also had a temporary grass court in use, during the 1993 Davis Cup quarterfinals, 2001 Davis Cup final and the 2003 Davis Cup final. In June 2015, it was announced that
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#17327942767694402-548: The velodrome is in use the northern and southern banks of seats, which cover the turns of the velodrome, are raised to reveal the track while the floor seating is removed leaving a reduced capacity of 4,500. Following the renovation of the Margaret Court Arena as part of a A$ 363 million upgrade to Melbourne Park in time for the 2015 Australian Open, which included a retractable roof and an increase in capacity from 6,000 to 7,500, both Melbourne United (formerly
4473-477: The venue played host to an ice hockey exhibition series between teams representing the United States and Canada. The arena hosts several musical and entertainment events each year, in concert with other venues in the precinct. On 26 February 2007, Irish boy band Westlife held a concert for The Love Tour supporting their LP The Love Album . On 18 September 2018, Taiwanese vocal pop band Mayday held
4544-441: Was announced that Rod Laver Arena would undergo a redevelopment of its exterior facade and interior features, such as bars and other player and spectator facilities. The broader second stage upgrade included a new footbridge linking Melbourne Park and Birrarung Marr and an Administration and Media Building, to house Tennis Australia and Melbourne & Olympic Parks Trust headquarters. The new footbridge, named Tanderrum Bridge,
4615-621: Was later renamed the National Tennis Centre, features eight indoor and 13 outdoor courts, eight of which are European -style clay courts . It was unveiled in January 2013. Margaret Court Arena had its seating capacity expanded to 7,500 and a retractable roof installed, and was opened ahead of the 2015 Australian Open . The cost of the Stage 1 redevelopment was $ 366 million. Stage 2 of the redevelopment began in June 2015, when it
4686-756: Was on 4 December 2016 during the 2016–17 NBL season when 10,300 fans saw Melbourne United defeat the New Zealand Breakers 98–74. This broke the previous basketball attendance record of 9,308 set in 2008 in a local derby game between the South Dragons and Melbourne Tigers. The venue co-hosted the 2007 FIBA Oceania Championship where the Australian national basketball team won the gold medal. John Cain Arena has also hosted several Harlem Globetrotters Exhibition Games during their tours of Australia. On 4 February 2023, John Cain Arena hosted
4757-625: Was originally fixtured to be held at The Forum Theatre in Melbourne's central business district, but was upgraded due to high demand. Melbourne Park Melbourne Park is a sports venue in the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct in Melbourne , Victoria , Australia . Since 1988, Australia's bicentenary , Melbourne Park has been home of the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament played annually in January. The park has multiple venues where
4828-525: Was the construction of a new 5,000-seat sunken show court arena located between Rod Laver and John Cain arenas, and the construction of a double-storey function and media centre named Centrepiece , on the site of the old function centre. The Centrepiece building features a Grand Hall capable of seating up to 1400 people at a banquet, a press conference-style auditorium for up to 250 people and several broadcast studios capable of being converted into meeting rooms, boardrooms or cocktail events. Other upgrades to
4899-399: Was the host venue for the gymnastics competition at the 2006 Commonwealth Games . The venue has hosted professional wrestling events such as World Wrestling Entertainment , World Championship Wrestling , World Wrestling All-Stars and World Cup skateboarding . In July 2012, the venue hosted its first netball match, when the Melbourne Vixens were forced to move a home semi-final to
4970-427: Was the process by which the precinct underwent three significant stages of redevelopment between 2010 and 2022. The Stage 1 redevelopment included the construction of a new Eastern Plaza to host an elite tennis training facility and a new bridge linking Melbourne Park to the nearby AAMI Park stadium and Olympic Park Oval , as well as an upgrade to Margaret Court Arena . The Eastern Plaza Tennis Training Facility, which
5041-523: Was unveiled in December 2016 and the Administration and Media Building was completed two months earlier. The Rod Laver Arena refurbishment included a new four-level training, leisure and multi-dining facility for athletes at the Australian Open and the general public at other times; this was completed in December 2018. Rod Laver Arena's retractable roof was also upgraded to allow for it to be closed for inclement weather in five minutes, dropping from
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