At which Melbourne complex has the Australian Open been played since 1988?

The Australian Open has been played at Melbourne Park since 1988.

The tournament’s first Melbourne Park edition was held at the newly developed Flinders Park complex, beside the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The precinct was created because the event had outgrown Kooyong, whose facilities could no longer comfortably handle the expanding international tournament.

The move also changed the tournament’s playing surface: after decades on grass, the Australian Open switched to hard courts in 1988, initially using Rebound Ace. Flinders Park was renamed Melbourne Park in 1996, making “Melbourne Park” the modern and canonical answer rather than the complex’s original name.

A common mix-up is confusing the venue with Rod Laver Arena. Rod Laver Arena is the principal stadium within Melbourne Park, not the name of the entire tournament complex. The precinct now includes several major courts, including Margaret Court Arena, John Cain Arena and Kia Arena.