# Chapter 4: Clubs & Venues

Tennis · Chapter 4: Clubs & Venues · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/tennis/interesting-facts/chapter-4-clubs-venues/)

The places tennis is played and their stories: Wimbledon's hawk, hill and poem, the biggest stadium, a Masters held in the wrong country, marble athletes in Rome and America's oldest grass courts.

## 4.41 Wimbledon Up Close

The hawk that keeps the pigeons away, the hill with the big screen and its rugby past, and the poem above the Centre Court door.

### Test 1: A hawk, a hill and a poem

- Rufus flies over the grounds early each morning so pigeons stay away from the roofs, seats and grass seed; his handlers also take him to Westminster Abbey and Lord's. (Source: Yahoo Sports (AFP), 'Wimbledon is hawk's pigeon-scaring playground'; William Hill News, 'Who is Rufus the hawk?')
- A member of the public spotted him on the common near the club, and he was soon back at work. (Source: Yahoo Sports (AFP), 'Wimbledon is hawk's pigeon-scaring playground'; William Hill News, 'Who is Rufus the hawk?')
- Pigeons on court during the 1999 final led the club to try a hawk, first Hamish and later Rufus. (Source: Yahoo Sports (AFP), 'Wimbledon is hawk's pigeon-scaring playground'; William Hill News, 'Who is Rufus the hawk?')
- The lines ask whether you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same. (Source: Global Tennis News, 'The history and meaning of Centre Court at Wimbledon'; Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum)
- The nicknames come from British fans who gathered there to watch Tim Henman and later Andy Murray. (Source: AAP via Northern Daily Leader, 'Wimbledon's Henman Hill set for 2027 makeover'; Visit London guide to Wimbledon)
- Aorangi Park was the home of the London New Zealand Rugby Club until 1981; Aorangi is a Maori name for Aoraki, New Zealand's highest mountain. (Source: AAP via Northern Daily Leader, 'Wimbledon's Henman Hill set for 2027 makeover'; Visit London guide to Wimbledon)
- Supporters gathered there to watch Henman's matches on the big screen; 'Murray Mound' came later. (Source: AAP via Northern Daily Leader, 'Wimbledon's Henman Hill set for 2027 makeover'; Visit London guide to Wimbledon)
- 1981, 1999, 2009 and 2012. (Source: AAP; Yahoo Sports (AFP); Wimbledon)
- He works early, before play and crowds, so the birds are gone by the time the gates open. (Source: Yahoo Sports (AFP), 'Wimbledon is hawk's pigeon-scaring playground'; William Hill News, 'Who is Rufus the hawk?')
- Rufus, a Harris's hawk, has the official title of bird scarer. (Source: Yahoo Sports (AFP), 'Wimbledon is hawk's pigeon-scaring playground'; William Hill News, 'Who is Rufus the hawk?')

## 4.42 Stadiums Around the World

The biggest tennis stadium, the marble athletes of Rome, a Masters across the border from Monaco and the Hall of Fame's historic grass.

### Test 1: Famous grounds and their quirks

- It seats about 23,000 and opened in 1997; its retractable roof was added in 2016. (Source: USTA, National Tennis Center venue rentals (ntc.usta.com); Ticketmaster, 'Step inside Arthur Ashe Stadium')
- The 60 statues of the Stadio dei Marmi were paid for by Italian provinces, whose names are carved on the pedestals. (Source: Turismo Roma, 'Stadio dei Marmi al Foro Italico' and 'The Foro Italico complex' (turismoroma.it))
- The event moved from Milan to the new sports complex in Rome, then called the Foro Mussolini. (Source: Turismo Roma, 'Stadio dei Marmi al Foro Italico' and 'The Foro Italico complex' (turismoroma.it); Internazionali BNL d'Italia)
- The courts in the Newport Casino's courtyard have been played on since the 1880s and still host an ATP event each July. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame, 'Historic Grounds' (tennisfame.com))
- Despite its name it was a social club for Newport's Gilded Age summer residents, designed by McKim, Mead & White. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame, 'Historic Grounds' (tennisfame.com))
- The shingled building was one of the firm's early works and is now a National Historic Landmark. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame, 'Historic Grounds' (tennisfame.com))
- It is held immediately after Wimbledon, the last grass event of the season. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame, 'Historic Grounds' (tennisfame.com))
- 1881, 1928, the 1930s and 1978. (Source: Hall of Fame; Roland-Garros; Turismo Roma; USTA)
- 1968, 1997 and 2016. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame; USTA; Ticketmaster)
- The Monte-Carlo Country Club's official address is in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France. (Source: Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, Tournament info (montecarlotennismasters.com))

## 4.43 Flushing Meadows

The US Open's park: a World's Fair building turned stadium, planes overhead and a jazz great's name.

### Test 1: Home of the US Open

- It was turned into the US Open's main court when the event moved to Queens in 1978. (Source: US Open official site, 'The grounds' and history (usopen.org))
- It became the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (Source: US Open official site, 'The grounds' and history (usopen.org))
- The grounds lie under one of the airport's flight paths. (Source: US Open official site, 'The grounds' and history (usopen.org))
- His house in Corona is now a museum. (Source: US Open official site, 'The grounds' and history (usopen.org); Louis Armstrong House Museum (louisarmstronghouse.org))
- It was the second US Open stadium to get a roof, after Arthur Ashe Stadium. (Source: US Open official site, 'The grounds' and history (usopen.org))
- Players, music and games fill the grounds for children before the main draw begins. (Source: US Open official site, 'The grounds' and history (usopen.org))
- It replaced an older Grandstand court on the other side of the grounds. (Source: US Open official site, 'The grounds' and history (usopen.org))
- 1964, 1978, 1997, 2006 and 2018. (Source: US Open official site, 'The grounds' and history (usopen.org))
- About 8,000, 14,000 and 23,000 seats. (Source: US Open official site, 'The grounds' and history (usopen.org))
- The park had also hosted the 1939 World's Fair. (Source: US Open official site, 'The grounds' and history (usopen.org); NYC Parks, Flushing Meadows Corona Park (nycgovparks.org))

## 4.44 Melbourne Park

The home of the Australian Open: its old names, the arenas and who they honour, a heat scale and the ground next door.

### Test 1: Home of the Australian Open

- It took the name Melbourne Park in 1996. (Source: Australian Open official site, venue and history (ausopen.com); Tennis Australia)
- Kooyong now holds an exhibition in the week before the Australian Open. (Source: Australian Open official site, venue and history (ausopen.com); Tennis Australia)
- Laver won the Australian title three times, in both his calendar Grand Slams among them. (Source: Australian Open official site, venue and history (ausopen.com); Tennis Australia)
- Melbourne Park was built while John Cain was Premier in the 1980s. (Source: Australian Open official site, venue and history (ausopen.com); Tennis Australia)
- Players often praise its relaxed mood and its care for them. (Source: Australian Open official site, venue and history (ausopen.com); Tennis Australia)
- The extra day gave a 15-day event with fewer late finishes. (Source: Australian Open official site, venue and history (ausopen.com); Tennis Australia)
- Fans walk from the tennis to the cricket across Yarra Park. (Source: Australian Open official site, venue and history (ausopen.com); Tennis Australia)
- 1988, 1996, 2000 and 2021. (Source: Australian Open official site, venue and history (ausopen.com); Tennis Australia)
- About 7,500, 10,500 and 15,000 seats. (Source: Australian Open official site, venue and history (ausopen.com); Tennis Australia)
- At the top level, play can be halted and the roofs closed. (Source: Australian Open official site, venue and history (ausopen.com); Tennis Australia, 'AO Heat Stress Scale')

## 4.45 Roland Garros Grounds

The French Open's courts and the people they honour, a show court among greenhouses and the Bullring.

### Test 1: Home of the French Open

- He led the French federation and, for many years, the ITF. (Source: Roland-Garros official site, 'The stadium' (rolandgarros.com))
- It became the second show court, with about 10,000 seats. (Source: Roland-Garros official site, 'The stadium' (rolandgarros.com))
- It sits inside the Serres d'Auteuil, next to the stadium. (Source: Roland-Garros official site, 'The stadium' (rolandgarros.com))
- She organised a women's corps of the Free French forces in London. (Source: Roland-Garros official site, 'The stadium' (rolandgarros.com))
- It was the first major to start on a Sunday. (Source: Roland-Garros official site, 'The stadium' (rolandgarros.com))
- The stadium is near the Porte d'Auteuil, in the west of Paris. (Source: Roland-Garros official site, 'The stadium' (rolandgarros.com))
- Below it lie layers of limestone, clinker and gravel. (Source: Roland-Garros official site, 'The stadium' (rolandgarros.com), 'The clay courts')
- 1928, 1994 and 2019. (Source: Roland-Garros official site, 'The stadium' (rolandgarros.com))
- About 5,000, 10,000 and 15,000 seats. (Source: Roland-Garros official site, 'The stadium' (rolandgarros.com))
- Court 1 was round and close to the action; it was last used in 2018. (Source: Roland-Garros official site, 'The stadium' (rolandgarros.com))

## 4.46 Wimbledon's Grounds

The courts behind Centre Court: the Graveyard of Champions, qualifying at Roehampton, the golf course next door and the grass itself.

### Test 1: Around the All England Club

- More grass courts nearby are used for practice. (Source: Wimbledon.com, the grounds and history)
- Many seeded players lost there; it was replaced in 2009. (Source: Wimbledon.com, the grounds and history)
- The qualifying event is held on grass a few miles away, the week before the Championships. (Source: Wimbledon.com, the grounds and history)
- The club bought the freehold in 1993 and plans many more courts there. (Source: Wimbledon.com, the grounds and history)
- It was built beside Centre Court and replaced by a new No. 1 Court in 1997. (Source: Wimbledon.com, the grounds and history)
- There are also honorary members, such as past singles champions. (Source: Wimbledon.com, the grounds and history, 'The Club')
- It ended when play on the middle Sunday became a regular part of the schedule. (Source: Wimbledon.com, the grounds and history)
- 1924, 1993, 1997 and 2009. (Source: Wimbledon.com, the grounds and history)
- The cycle starts again the day after the last final. (Source: Wimbledon.com, the grounds and history, 'The grass')
- The grounds staff mow the courts every day of the event. (Source: Wimbledon.com, the grounds and history, 'The grass')

## 4.47 Tennis Academies

Where champions were made: Bollettieri's Florida camp, Murray's Barcelona, Djokovic's Munich and Nadal at home.

### Test 1: Training grounds

- It became part of a big multi-sport academy in Bradenton. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com), Nick Bollettieri)
- Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova trained there too. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com), Nick Bollettieri)
- He moved to Spain in 2002 to train on clay with stronger players. (Source: ATP Tour, player profiles (atptour.com), Andy Murray)
- The academy was near Munich, where he trained for several years. (Source: ATP Tour, player profiles (atptour.com), Novak Djokovic)
- She had earlier coached Monica Seles. (Source: ATP Tour, player profiles (atptour.com), Novak Djokovic)
- Toni Nadal coached him from the age of three. (Source: ATP Tour, player profiles (atptour.com), Rafael Nadal)
- It moved to Biot, near Sophia Antipolis, in 2016. (Source: Mouratoglou Academy (mouratoglou.com))
- 1978, 1999, 2002 and 2016. (Source: ATP Tour, player profiles (atptour.com); International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com))
- From Florida across Spain and Mallorca to the Riviera and Bavaria. (Source: Academy sites)
- The Rafa Nadal Academy is in Manacor, his home town. (Source: Rafa Nadal Academy (rafanadalacademy.com))

## 4.48 Courts Named After Players

Champions remembered in concrete: Santana in Madrid, Rosewall in Sydney, Graf in Berlin, Pietrangeli in Rome and Rafter in Brisbane.

### Test 1: Arenas with a name

- Santana was also the tournament's director. (Source: Mutua Madrid Open (mutuamadridopen.com))
- He was the first Spanish man to win the title. (Source: Wimbledon.com, champions; International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com))
- Rosewall was born in Sydney in 1934. (Source: Tennis NSW, Ken Rosewall Arena (tennis.com.au))
- It stands at the LTTC Rot-Weiss club, which hosts a grass event. (Source: LTTC Rot-Weiss Berlin (rotweiss-berlin.de))
- He won the French title twice and the Italian title twice. (Source: Internazionali BNL d'Italia (internazionalibnlditalia.com))
- Court won 11 Australian singles titles. (Source: Australian Open official site, venue and history (ausopen.com); Tennis Australia)
- The Roger-Federer-Allee leads to the national tennis centre, where he trained as a teenager. (Source: Swiss Tennis (swisstennis.ch); City of Biel)
- 1953, 1959, 1961, 1987 and 1997. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com))
- Two European capitals north of Madrid, then two Australian cities. (Source: Atlas)
- Rafter won the US Open in 1997 and 1998; the arena is at the Queensland Tennis Centre in Brisbane. (Source: Tennis Queensland (tennis.com.au))

## 4.49 Halls, Museums and Statues

Where tennis remembers: the Hall of Fame, the museums of Wimbledon and Paris, and statues in London, Richmond and Paris.

### Test 1: Remembering the greats

- Its first players were inducted in 1955. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com), history)
- She won the French Open in 2011 and the Australian Open in 2014. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com), Li Na)
- It opened in the centenary year of the Championships. (Source: Wimbledon.com, the grounds and history, Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum)
- It tells the story of the French Open and of the game. (Source: Roland-Garros official site, 'The stadium' (rolandgarros.com))
- Perry won the singles in 1934, 1935 and 1936. (Source: Wimbledon.com, the grounds and history)
- He was the first Black man honoured on the avenue, his home city's famous boulevard. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com), Arthur Ashe; City of Richmond)
- It shows him in mid-forehand and stands among the trees of the grounds. (Source: Roland-Garros official site, 'The stadium' (rolandgarros.com))
- 1954, 1977, 1984, 1996 and 2021. (Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com); Wimbledon.com, the grounds and history; Roland-Garros official site, 'The stadium' (rolandgarros.com))
- 1934, 1975 and 2008. (Source: Wimbledon.com, the grounds and history)
- Perry was the last British man to win the singles until Andy Murray in 2013. (Source: Wimbledon.com, the grounds and history)

## 4.50 Under the Lights

Night tennis: the first floodlit US Open, Wimbledon's curfew, the first match under the roof and finishes after 4 am.

### Test 1: Late nights

- Lights were put up at Forest Hills; night sessions are now a feature of the event. (Source: US Open official site, 'The grounds' and history (usopen.org))
- The curfew comes from the club's agreement with the local council. (Source: Wimbledon.com, the grounds and history)
- Matches unfinished at the curfew carry on the next day. (Source: Wimbledon.com, the grounds and history)
- The fourth-round match ended at 10.38 pm, then the latest finish at Wimbledon. (Source: Wimbledon.com, the grounds and history)
- Many matches were finished the next day. (Source: Wimbledon.com, the grounds and history)
- Court Philippe-Chatrier had its new roof and lights by then. (Source: Roland-Garros official site, 'The stadium' (rolandgarros.com))
- Murray came from two sets down in the second round. (Source: Australian Open official site, venue and history (ausopen.com); Tennis Australia)
- 1975, 2008, 2009 and 2021. (Source: US Open official site, 'The grounds' and history (usopen.org); Australian Open official site, venue and history (ausopen.com); Tennis Australia; Wimbledon.com, the grounds and history; Roland-Garros official site, 'The stadium' (rolandgarros.com))
- 10.38 pm, 4.05 am and 4.34 am. (Source: Wimbledon.com, the grounds and history; Australian Open official site, venue and history (ausopen.com); Tennis Australia)
- Hewitt beat Baghdatis in a third-round match that began near midnight. (Source: Australian Open official site, venue and history (ausopen.com); Tennis Australia)

Sources: Primary/official sources only, no Wikipedia citations: the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, the USTA, Turismo Roma, Yahoo Sports (AFP), AAP, Global Tennis News. Roland Garros's aviator, the roofs, Flushing Meadows in Queens, the Queen's Club Federation Cup and Monte Carlo's non-compulsory status are asked in Knowledge Testing and left out on purpose.

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