Adelaide will host the world's top tennis stars from next year at a new joint ATP-WTA tournament set to be played ahead of the Australian Open Grand Slam, it was announced Saturday. The event will take place at a revamped Memorial Drive, which has been given an Aus$10 million (US$7.3 million) cash injection to put a woven fibreglass membrane fabric roof on the centre court.

Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley said it was part of his vision for the future of the Australian tennis summer. Sydney and Brisbane have already been announced as hosts of the new innovative 24-nation ATP World Team Cup, which will be played from January 3 over 10 days in the lead-up to the season-opening Grand Slam at Melbourne Park.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2019