Sydney looks to woo top players

JAMIE PANDARAM IT’S the roof set to deliver Rafa and Roger.

A $50.5 million upgrade to the Ken Rosewall Arena that includes a canopy roof to hold out the heat and rain is set to revamp the Australian summer schedule and land Sydney the biggest male players from next year.

The Rosewall Arena has been in dire need of a roof and the NSW Government has delivered, with work to begin immediately after the Sydney International that finishes on Saturday week, and the roof is expected to be in place by November.

That means Sydney will be in prime position to win their bid for the ATP Cup next January, which could see Tennis Australia give this city a huge boost by rescheduling the summer schedule and giving Sydney an earlier timeslot, luring big-name male stars who have snubbed the city for years because it’s too close to the Australian Open.

If Sydney wins the WTA Cup bid and is given an earlier slot, Brisbane or Perth would have to take a later date and likely lose their ability to lure top 10 men.

Tennis NSW chief executive Lawrence Robertson said the redevelopment of the Rosewall Arena is set to be a game-changer for the Sydney tennis landscape.

“If Sydney was successful in securing the ATP Cup, then the summer of tennis as it stands will look different, and that’s the same in some instances for Brisbane and Perth,” Robertson said.

Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have rejected the Sydney International for several years because of the intense heat and schedule so close to the Australian Open, meaning they could be playing a three-set final on a Saturday night here and then a five-set match in Melbourne on Monday. The new roof, and potential new schedule, would solve that problem.