ASB Classic: Tennis Auckland unveils plans for a $15 million indoor stadium at Stanley St

As the fortnight of the ASB Classic draws to a close, the tournament venue could be ready for the biggest shake-up in its long history.

The time is right and there are so many reasons for it, says Rohan West, CEO of Tennis Auckland. It is an opportunity for us to protect and improve the event, and we must seize that opportunity.

The current project has been discussed for a number of years, but came to a flashpoint in 2023 when Auckland was lashed by rain.

That soggy fortnight, when stars like Casper Ruud and Emma Raducanu were forced to play indoors without spectators, while five of the first eight women's sessions were wiped out, was a catalyst to accelerate the plan.

Tennis Auckland opted for a structure modeled on the South Australian Tennis Centre, which hosts the Adelaide WTA 500 and ATP 250 events.

The high roof creates a canopy-like effect: parts of the skyline are still visible and the wind and natural light pass through, while providing protection from the rain. It also means Auckland can maintain its status as an outdoor event.

Consent for the resources was confirmed in September. At the same time, Manuka Doctor agreed to a ten-year sponsorship of the arena's naming rights.

That agreement included a $600,000 donation to the roof project. While discussions are still ongoing, we are 90% of the way there with a benefactor family for a further commitment of $1.2 million.

We were off to the races in that regard, West said. Once we get those two, we're still 15% to 18% towards the final number.

Greg Lee, the former president of Tennis Auckland, is leading the fundraising effort.

There are many wealthy families interested in tennis, plus corporations and foundations, Lee said. And opportunities are emerging in central and local government. We feel like the stars are aligned here.

The first phase of the project will see the demolition of the Robinson Stand, which is more than 70 years old.

This move has been brought forward due to the need to increase the playing field by up to 4 meters to meet the revised ATP Tour specifications.

We are now within the minimum, West said. Players are bigger, stronger and faster and play the game much deeper than ever before. So if we don't do it, there will come a point where the ATP will look at this quite strictly and say we may not give you the waiver any time soon.

That step is dependent on approval on board, but West believes there is no choice. The stand will be replaced by a temporary stand with scaffolding, similar to those in Monaco, Queens and other tournaments around the world.

That will increase capacity at that end from 880 seats, a quarter of which have limited visibility, to 1,200, with no visibility problems. There will be different seating levels, with West mentioning a Presidents Box as an option.

The larger playing field would also increase the possibilities for other sporting events, with space for two basketball, korfball or beach volleyball courts, an indoor football field or four 3×3 basketball courts.

Right now we can only do a fraction of that, West said.

Subject to board approval, demolition would begin in June, followed by infrastructure works (water, waste and electricity) to enable a plug-and-play scenario for the temporary grandstand.

The second and crucial stage is the installation of the roof. Tennis Auckland has partnered with four manufacturers of the canopy, made from a stretchy membrane fabric; two of which have completed arenas in Australia.

There would be six months of off-site prefabrication and construction, followed by three months of on-site installation.

We could do it in one tournament, West said. Groundbreaking in February or March 2026, ready for departure in January 2027.

After an extensive fact-finding mission a few years ago, the canopy quickly became the preferred option. A retractable roof like at Wimbledon or the Australian Open was not realistic in terms of cost, while the 2015 proposal, which included upgrades to three stands, was also not economically feasible.

But is a roof necessary? Few outdoor tennis tournaments at WTA or ATP 250 level offer space for an indoor center court, and when the weather is nice, as it will be in 2024, Stanley St is a great place to be, in bright sunshine and with a view on the skyline.

But West is unequivocal. He points out that all competing events in the past two weeks have a roof or are considering installing one.

In our window we have fallen behind our competitors, and the Aussies in particular have shown us.

The benefits are numerous. It will protect the event from weather issues, postponements and cancellations, and make it more attractive to players, providing certainty in their schedule ahead of the Australian Open.

Spectators will enjoy the modern arena, sheltered from extreme heat, and advance ticket sales should increase. Tennis Auckland will also see vastly lower weather-related insurance premiums, currently around $450,000 a year, money that can be spent on the community game, along with greater certainty for sponsors, broadcasters and commercial partners.

Most importantly, West says the upgrade will protect one of New Zealand's greatest sporting assets, which injects millions into Auckland's economy every year.

We have to think about the future. We cannot afford to lose this event to another city.

Although Auckland is deep-rooted and popular, WTA or ATP licenses are highly competitive, with constant interest from Asia and the Middle East in particular.

The secondary benefit will be a new all-purpose arena that can be used for music, theatre, conferences, exhibitions and other sports from boxing to beach volleyball. The total capacity for tennis will also increase from 3100 to 3500.

Finding the money will be the biggest challenge, but West and Lee are confident. They believe there are opportunities for municipal and government contributions, although most will come from the private sector.

It's old-fashioned shoe leather, Lee said. Bringing people's attention and showing them the benefits. It will take a lot of effort and energy, but we are ready for it.

It would be nice if someone walked in with a fifteen million dollar pot of gold and said, “I love what you're doing, I want to be involved, and who knows, maybe there's someone or some entity out there, but there I had not expected.'

There was more positive news yesterday when ASB announced an extension of its sponsorship for a further three years, until 2027. The bank has been the title sponsor of the women's event since 1997 and added the men's tournament in 2016.

These two weeks were another success, with record ticket sales surpassing 2024's figures. But West hopes there is much more to come.

This is already New Zealand's biggest annual sporting event, but we want to make it even bigger.