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Ken Rosewall Arena to debut new roof at ATP Cup

Sydney’s Ken Rosewall Arena is on track to be fitted with its new roof in time for January’s inaugural edition of the ATP Cup tennis tournament.

The first edition of the men’s team event will take place in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth from January 3-12. Ken Rosewall Arena, which forms part of the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre, will be one of the host venues for the event.

Sydney and Brisbane were announced as host cities back in January and the news came shortly after it was revealed that Ken Rosewall Arena would undergo Aus$50m (£26.2m/€30.7m/$33.8m) worth of renovation in an effort to further its claims to stage the tournament. Work has progressed well in the interim months and the new roof is set to be in operation in time for the event.

Other elements of the renovation work include new flooring to host games played by Sydney’s two Super Netball teams, the Giants and Swifts. A new fan site, further upgrades to the precinct and enhancement of player and media facilities are also well underway.

The new roof features a cable-tension and PTFE fabric design, which marks a first for an Australian venue. Cox Architecture has designed the roof in partnership with Arup and Fabritecture.

Lawrence Robertson, chief executive of Tennis New South Wales and general manager of ATP Cup Sydney, said: “The redevelopment of Ken Rosewall Arena and Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre has progressed extremely well since we announced the project in January.

“The new roof structure on centre court will give the fans and players a vastly improved experience, protected from the sun and rain. With just 40 days to go we are looking forward to seeing the venue completely transformed to host the brand-new ATP Cup and welcoming the players to Sydney.”

Image: Sydney Olympic Park