Melbourne Olympic Park
Upgrading clay tennis courts for Australian Open performance
Victoria

The western tennis courts were originally constructed as clay courts with vertical drainage and relatively flat surface grades of around 0.5%. Converting these courts to hard court surfaces introduced several technical challenges.

Hard courts rely on surface runoff rather than vertical drainage and require steeper crossfalls, typically between 0.7% and 1%. The site also had limited formal surface drainage infrastructure and needed to integrate seamlessly with existing perimeter concrete edges and surrounding assets.

At a broader precinct scale, Melbourne Park and Tennis Australia also wanted to understand whether the Olympic Park Oval could accommodate a temporary or permanent tennis court to better activate the space during the Australian Open without compromising its year-round use as public open space and a training venue for the Collingwood Football Club.

SPORTENG delivered detailed design services for the conversion of four clay courts into cushioned acrylic hard courts suitable for elite training and Australian Open warm-up use.

To achieve compliant surface grades, we adjusted levels by increasing pavement thicknesses and working with the existing high perimeter concrete edge strips to build up the pavement on the high side. Given the lack of existing surface drainage, we designed new perimeter spoon drains to capture runoff and direct flows to grated drainage points, ensuring the courts perform reliably during high-intensity use and wet-weather events.

In parallel, SPORTENG was engaged to undertake a feasibility study for a new tennis court within the Olympic Park Oval. We assessed two options:

• An above-ground tennis court
• A tennis court constructed below ground within the oval

Our feasibility report included concept considerations, option comparisons, high-level cost estimates, and indicative design, tender and construction programs. We also worked closely with Melbourne & Olympic Parks to understand site constraints, existing services, geotechnical conditions, and how each option would integrate with event operations and year-round community use.

Aerial view of the Melbourne Olympic Park sports facilities and tennis courts

The converted western courts now provide high-quality cushioned hard-court surfaces ready for elite training and Australian Open practice, increasing court capacity within the precinct without expanding its footprint.

The feasibility study delivered clear, practical guidance on how a tennis court could be introduced into the Olympic Park Oval, giving Melbourne Park a strong evidence base to support future investment and event planning decisions. Together, these works help ensure Melbourne Olympic Park continues to evolve as a world class tennis destination while balancing performance, participation, and long-term precinct flexibility.

Want to go deeper on tennis court surfaces?

Choosing the right tennis court surface has a big impact on play performance, maintenance, drainage, player comfort and long-term operating costs. If you’d like a clearer picture of what cushioned acrylic, clay and other hard-court systems really offer, we’ve put together practical, engineer-led resources to help.

Download our tennis court surface Playbook to understand:

• The key differences between clay, acrylic and cushioned hard courts
• Performance and player comfort considerations
• Drainage behaviour and surface grades
• Maintenance requirements and whole of life costs
• What works best for community use versus elite competition