The Rod Laver Arena is a part of the Melbourne Park complex located in the city of Melbourne in the Victoria region of Australia. It has been the main stadium where the Australian Open tennis has been held since 1988, when their location moved from the now dilapidated Kooyong Stadium. Originally known as Flinders Park or Center Court, the arena was officially named in 2000 in honor of Rod Laver, three-time Australian Open winner, the only man to score the Grand Slam twice, and one of tennis' greatest Of all times.
The arena was completed in 1988, seating a total of 14,820. The complex attracts around one and a half million visitors each year. The arena features a retractable roof, which allows athletes to continue playing in both rain and extreme heat. It has also been equipped with the electronic system known as Hawkeye, which allows you to verify the correctness of referee decisions.
US thrash metal band Metallica played an impressive five concerts at the arena as part of their World Magnetic Tour in 2010. Rock star Bruce Springsteen also played 3 concerts in March 2013 on his Australian leg.
It was the main venue for the World Aquatics Championships, held between March 17 and April 1, 2007. A temporary swimming pool named after Australian swimming champion Susie O'Neill was built inside the stadium for this event. The stadium also hosted World Championship Wrestling in October 2000 and the gymnastics competitions for the XVIII Commonwealth Games.