Wollongong Lord Mayor Tania Brown with Illawarra MPs Paul Scully, Alison Byrnes and Anna Watson (far right), Councillor Richard Martin and Tennis NSW president Melissa Achten, on Wollongong’s freshest courts. Photo: Zoe Cartwright.
A centre to nurture the likes of a new Ash Barty or Dylan Alcott has opened in Wollongong.
The energy was high at the Wollongong Regional Tennis Centre this month when its long-awaited upgrade was officially opened.
MP Paul Scully hyped up Wollongong Lord Mayor Tania Brown’s little-known tennis legacy.
“Two massive events in Wollongong, the opening of 15 fantastic new courts here at Beaton Park and the announcement of the comeback of the 1979 runner-up in the Mr Juicy tennis tournament,” the Member for Wollongong told the crowd.
“Seriously though, this is a day people will remember for decades. We will have kids coming out onto these courts, social players, competition players and a number of state and national tournaments.
“This facility is important to the city, to the people here and the region’s economic development.”
The Lord Mayor was announced as the number one seed for the one-point slam event on the day; unfortunately she was knocked out in the first round.
It’s the first, but not the last, serious competition to be hosted on the new and refurbished courts.
The project has transformed the centre into a Tier 2 facility, positioning Wollongong as a destination for international, national and state-level events and a major strategic base for development of the sport in NSW.
The elite facility – opened hot on the heels of the Australian Open – now boasts eight International Tennis Federation (ITF) cushioned acrylic courts, alongside two community-sized cushioned acrylic courts, four synthetic grass courts and another multipurpose cushioned acrylic court for community use.
Accompanying works included new shade structures, spectator seating, floodlights, pathways and soft landscaping and the addition of 110 new parking spaces at the centre.
Two state events and an international competition are already scheduled for the courts in the next 12 months.
It’s a return to form for the centre and one that life member Wendy Saville wasn’t sure she’d live to see.
She returned to playing tennis in 1980 after her mum told her she needed to get some time out of the house away from her young twin boys.
By 1986 Wendy was secretary of the club and remained in that role until she took over as chair of South-East Region of Tennis NSW. In 2001 she joined the board of Tennis NSW where she remained until 2019.
“I was the one that ushered Tennis Australia representatives around 20 years ago and they saw the courts and how bad they were,” she said.
“They made the decision then we wouldn’t be getting any more international or high national events, which absolutely destroyed me.
“I often wondered if I would be well enough and not die before this centre was opened.
“To see the centre and what they’ve done with it is just a dream come true.”
Work on the project, worth about $12 million, was jointly funded by the Australian Government, the NSW Government’s Greater Cities Sport Facility Fund 2020-21, NSW ATP Cup Tennis Legacy Fund and Wollongong City Council.
It began back in 2023, but a number of unforeseen challenges – such as the discovery of asbestos on site – led to delays in its completion.
Local business Complete Tennis currently operates out of the centre, but asked whether there was any news on who would be awarded the lease in future, Wollongong City Council and Tennis NSW both remained tight-lipped.
The impact of the redevelopment is expected to be felt beyond the tennis community.
Lawrence Robertson, former CEO of Tennis NSW, said it was part of a broader push to reinvest in regions with a proud history of tennis.
“There’s something here for people aged five to 95,” he said.
“It means developing talent doesn’t have to travel to Sydney to access the resources they need.
“We’ve included pickleball courts so those of us who want to stay active but aren’t up for tennis anymore have options too.
“For those in the community with no interest in tennis, when we bring national events to facilities like this our data shows we deliver $1 to $1.5 million in economic benefits.
“The ball is in our court.”
