Tennis bosses court Games organisers for more nets in Brisbane
By Tony Moore
Tennis Queensland has asked for extra courts at the Queensland Tennis Centre to host a 44 per cent increase in matches for the 2032 Olympic Games, compared with the regularly sold-out Brisbane International tournaments.
The request, for at least two new show courts and extra performance courts at the Tennyson facility, was made in the review of potential Olympic venues.
Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic serves in her match against Naomi Osaka of Japan during day four of the 2024 Brisbane International at Queensland Tennis Centre.Credit: Getty
The Queensland Tennis Centre has one main arena with 5500 seats and 22 playing courts with various surfaces, including two undercover show courts.
Tennis Queensland asked for “a new show court two, show court three and extra courts, which would provide an ongoing legacy benefit”.
More than one-quarter of Brisbane residents do not have access to a tennis court, according to the body’s Facilities Strategic Plan 2028, as urban growth crowds out parkland and tennis courts for housing.
The plea for Brisbane’s Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games to consider expansion was repeated on Wednesday by former lord mayor Graham Quirk at the Senate inquiry into Brisbane’s 2032 Games preparedness.
Tennis Queensland has asked the Brisbane Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games for two extra show courts at the Queensland Tennis Centre.Credit: Tony Moore
“We made a recommendation around that, that there needed to be an examining by the organising committee around whether the current capacity is adequate,” Quirk said.
“So, for example, there is going to be an additional 30 per cent in players, an additional 44 per cent in games that will be staged, as opposed to a Brisbane International tournament,” he said.
“So our view was that that needed a really close look at.”
In 2021, Tennis Queensland previous chief executive Mark Hanley said the centre’s courts had a 75 per cent occupancy, and it was “packed to the rafters” during the Brisbane International.
Team Australia (back row from left) Storm Hunter, Taylah Preston, Sam Stosur, Daria Saville, Ellen Perez and Arina Rodionova pose with junior Australia tennis players Jennifer Ott, Vesna Marinkov, Emilie Chen, Jizelle Sinai, Renee Alame and Koharu Nishikawa during a practice session ahead of the Billie Jean King Cup qualifier at Pat Rafter Arena in April.Credit: Getty
At that time, he reminded tennis fans that federal Labor in 2019 promised $18 million to build a second roofed tennis stadium at Tennyson.
Only minor improvements are planned for the Queensland Tennis Centre before 2032, with former sport minister Stirling Hinchliffe in 2021 previously ruling out expansions.
Tennis is booming in Queensland on the back of success in recent years from Ash Barty, Sam Stosur, John Millman and the popular Brisbane International.
More than 4000 fans were at the 5500-seat Pat Rafter Arena every day for the Billie Jean King Cup, the women’s equivalent of the Davis Cup.
Brisbane’s Olympic organising committee said it had recently met with Tennis Queensland and Tennis Australia executives to discuss the QTC and the proposed plans.
On Wednesday, Tennis Queensland said it was in discussion with the Queensland government about the International Olympic Committee’s “new norm” strategy, which asks host cities to make best use of existing facilities.
“We will continue to work with the state government and the organising committee to ensure we have the best possible facilities in place to welcome the world’s best tennis players and stage spectacular tennis events,” a spokesman said.
Tennis Queensland said almost 1 million people played recreational tennis in Queensland, more than netball, basketball and all football codes.