Manuka Doctor Arena Redevelopment

The ASB Classic, the WTA and ATP tournament Auckland hosts each January before the Australian Open, had outgrown its home. Manuka Doctor Arena at Stanley Street no longer met the tours' court-length and capacity standards, and rain kept interrupting play. The fix is a staged redevelopment, upgrading Centre Court now and working toward a permanent roof.

Tennis Auckland has worked with RCP on the arena for years, including delivering the Yock Stand for the 2020 tournament, and has re-engaged RCP to manage the current redevelopment. The first stage extends Centre Court to meet the tour standards and lifts capacity toward 3,500, with the ageing Robinson Stand coming down and the southern end of the ground reworked with permanent and temporary spectator seating.

RCP set the redevelopment out in stages tied to the funding as it is confirmed, and planned the works around the tournament itself. The demolition, the court extension and the temporary stands are sequenced to be ready for the January 2026 Classic, with landscaping to follow, so the event runs each summer while the arena is rebuilt around it.

The centrepiece to come is a permanent roof over Centre Court, targeted for 2027. It takes the weather out of the tournament, ending the rain delays that have dogged the January fortnight, and turns Manuka Doctor Arena into a year-round venue able to hold concerts, performances and events alongside the tennis. RCP is running the procurement, with the $15 million funding now in place.

Stage by stage, the redevelopment gives Auckland a modern, covered arena in the heart of the city, and keeps the ASB Classic at home.