What surface is used at the Australian Open?

The Australian Open is played on hard courts. Its outdoor courts at Melbourne Park use a cushioned acrylic hard-court surface, making the tournament the hard-court major in the early part of the tennis season.

The event’s surface has changed over time. Before moving to Melbourne Park, the Australian Open was played on grass, including at Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club. From 1988, when the tournament moved to its current Melbourne Park home, it used Rebound Ace. In 2008, the organizers replaced that surface with Plexicushion, designed to provide a more consistent playing experience in Melbourne’s heat.

Hard courts generally sit between grass and clay in playing characteristics. They usually produce a medium-paced game, rewarding both powerful serving and strong baseline play. Carpet is not the Australian Open surface, and grass belongs most famously to Wimbledon. The Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open therefore represent hard, clay, grass, and hard courts respectively, although the two hard courts differ in speed and construction.