The Australian Open will become the only Grand Slam tournament that has three retractable-roof stadiums. This development was known after tournament officials revealed that the Margaret Court Arena will have a new look.
Here are the other developments as revealed by Tennis Australia:
Margaret Court Arena (MCA), the scene of many stunning Australian Open battles, is undergoing an incredible transformation and will sport a dramatic new look for the tournament in 2014, including:
a distinctive new roof providing fans with shaded seating areas. The roof will be fixed in an open position for AO 2014 and fully operational for AO 2015
more than 3200 square metres of shade 360 degrees around the MCA concourse level.
The spectacular new National Tennis Centre (NTC), located on the eastern side of Hisense Arena, opened just weeks prior to Australian Open 2013 and was universally acclaimed by the world’s top players and coaches. For Australian Open 2014 the state-of-the-art facility will be used for:
Australian Open Junior Championships tournament control, locker rooms and player lounge
an expanded gym, recovery and lounge facilities for all Australian Open players
additional practice courts (both indoor and outdoor).
In another first, players can book practice courts and take advantage of the spacious and relaxed training environment offered within the NTC, a particularly appealing option on days when they are not playing matches.
The Eastern Plaza, delivered ahead of schedule before the Australian Open this year, included an upgraded entry to Hisense Arena and the completion of the Edwin Flack pedestrian bridge, linking the MCG, Melbourne Park and AAMI Park.
At Australian Open 2014 attractions at the Eastern Plaza include:
access from 8 am during the first eight days
unique early access to watch the top players practising and warming up
food and beverage outlets offering a special breakfast menu
giant video screens telecasting match highlights, interviews and all the news from on and off the court
café style seating and umbrellas.
