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Melbourne Park

Melbourne Park is a sports venue in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Located along the Yarra River in the southeast of the Financial District, it is part of the sports and entertainment complex that also includes the Olympic Park and Yarra Park.

Since 1988 it has hosted the Australian Open tennis between January and February. It was formerly the home of the Melbourne Tigers basketball team and can also be used to host ice skating, concerts, track cycling, swimming and motorsport competitions.

The complex was built in 1988 specifically to host the Australian Open given the small size of the previous facility. Initially known as the National Tennis Centre, then Victoria Governor Jeff Kennett named it Melbourne Park in 1996 to bring the city's name to a wider audience. The decision was made despite strong opposition, but was later accepted by the community.

Previously known as Center Court, the Rod Laver Arena has a capacity of 15,000 and a retractable roof. The John Cain Arena, opened in 2000 and known as the Multi-Purpose Venue during the XVIII Commonwealth Games in 2006, is the second largest field with 10,500 seats and is equipped with mobile coverage. To these is also added the Margaret Court Arena, the former center field.

Adjacent to Melbourne Park is the Melbourne Cricket Ground, to which it connects with numerous pedestrian bridges. The park is a ten minute walk from Richmond and Jolimont stations and a five minute tram ride from the city centre.

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