15 Best Tennis Stadiums In The World
There are some truly remarkable tennis stadiums around the world, and some people enjoy going to tournaments simply to catch a glimpse of the sport. Out of all the venues, what are the best tennis stadiums in the world?
Some of the stadiums below share the same venue. All are worth watching at least one match there if possible.
15. Hard Rock Stadium
- Location: Miami, United States
- Tournament: Miami Open (ATP 1000)
- Capacity: 13,800
A few years ago, The Miami Open would be a little better represented on this list. They made a move to Hard Rock Stadium, which is a step down from where they were in the past off of Key Biscayne.
Still, this is a large venue to watch the most important matches at the Miami Open. It’s a football stadium turned into a tennis stadium, but it has excellent sightlines and is a unique venue to the tennis world.
14. National Tennis Center
- Location: Beijing, China
- Tournament: China Open (ATP 500)
- Capacity: 15,000
In the capital of China is the main stadium at the National Tennis Center. It might not seem like anything too fancy at first glance, but it’s one of those stadiums that a lot of people put a lot of effort into to make a top-rated venue.
There aren’t any unique features about the stadium, but it’s the best of the best in Asia right now.
13. Ahoy Rotterdam
- Location: Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Tournament: Rotterdam Open (ATP 500)
- Capacity: 15,818
At the Rotterdam Open, the main stadium is actually a convention center and arena in the country. It’s been open since 1950 but has been consistently used as the main spot for a court during the tournament.
Seating over 15,000, this indoor arena makes the tournament appear much bigger than it actually is. It’s only an ATP Tour 500 series, but it is constantly referred to as one of the best stadiums in the world for tennis players to play at least once.
12. Caja Magica
- Location: Madrid, Spain
- Tournament: Madrid Masters (ATP 1000)
- Capacity: 12,442
Affectionately known as The Magic Box, the main stadium at the Madrid Masters feels like a Grand Slam stadium in a lot of ways. Not only does the stadium hold 12,500 people, but it has a retractable roof for when bad weather hits.
A few years ago, they messed around with blue clay, but that did not go over well with players. It has since turned back to traditional red clay, and it’s one of the best tune-ups for players getting ready for the French Open.
11. Margaret Court Arena
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Tournament: Australian Open (Grand Slam)
- Capacity: 7,500
During the first week of the Australian Open, Margaret Court Arena can be just as electric as Rod Laver Arena. There are so many good matches, and putting them on Margaret Court gives a slightly different atmosphere.
There are a decent amount of players who believe that they have more fun playing on this court, which is certainly nothing to laugh at by any means. Now that it has a retractable roof, it’s able to keep players safe and keep everything moving when rain hits the Melbourne area.
10. Court Suzanne Lenglen
- Location: Paris, France
- Tournament: French Open (Grand Slam)
- Capacity: 10,068
The second biggest court at the French Open still seats plenty of people to bring in for big matches. With just over 10,000 people filling the stadium up during the first part of the tournament, there are always a few big matches there every year.
The one drawback to the stadium is that there is not as much room to move around behind the baseline. Having as much room as possible with players on clay courts is always beneficial to chase down balls. It would be nice to see them make a change, but that’s likely not going to happen any time soon.
9. Monte Carlo Country Club
- Location: Monte Carlo, Monaco
- Tournament: Monte Carlo Masters (ATP 1000)
- Capacity: 10,000
The stadium is not only high-end, but it has one of the best views a person can ever ask for.
Few tournaments are held at a relatively small country club, but Monte Carlo has the perfect location for people to be very drawn into. The stadium might have the best location in all of tennis currently.
8. Wimbledon No. 1 Court
- Location: Wimbledon, England
- Tournament: Wimbledon Championships (Grand Slam)
- Capacity: 14,979
Wimbledon was finally able to put a retractable roof on the No. 1 Court in 2019. That was great news for a tournament that always seems to be stopped by weather at some point.
Like a lot of Grand Slams, the second-best court on the grounds gets plenty of action during the first week of the tournament. Fans can get a closer look at some of the best players in the world, and the crowd is usually a bit easier to hear overall. It still has a lot of the quirks of Centre Court, but just a slightly smaller size.
7. O2 Arena
- Location: London, England
- Tournament: ATP World Tour Finals
- Capacity: 20,000
The atmosphere at the O2 Arena might not be the best, but it still deserves mention on this list as being the host of the ATP World Tour Finals. In 2020, they hosted their last World Tour Finals for a while, but the plan is to use this arena for other tennis tournaments as well.
Of course, O2 Arena is not just a tennis facility. That’s part of the reason why it probably is not higher on this list. It does a great job as a tennis venue, but it’s rarely 100% packed.
6. Indian Wells Tennis Garden – Stadium 1
- Location: Indian Wells, United States
- Tournament: Indian Wells Masters (ATP 1000)
- Capacity: 16,100
There is a considerable difference between the US Open and Indian Wells in the United States. While the US Open can get pretty loud and raucous at times, Indian Wells is a much more reserved tournament with a lot more space to work within general. Some people like that, and if that’s the case, Stadium 1 is the place to be.
Seating over 16,000, it is a very nice stadium located in the middle of the desert in California. During that time of year, the weather is pretty pleasant in the area, making it a great place for fans to watch. Players all seem to really love Indian Wells, making it one of the more popular non-grand slam tournaments.
5. Louis Armstrong Stadium
- Location: New York, United States
- Tournament: US Open (Grand Slam)
- Capacity: 14,053
There is not a second stadium at a Grand Slam event better overall than Louis Armstrong Stadium. Not only do fans get a chance to see a pretty good match during the fortnight, but it has outstanding seating for a second stadium as well.
With over 14,000 seats, anyone with a ticket can take advantage of seeing a match by getting one of the general admission spots. It’s first come first serve and is a great value at the US Open in general. The US Open decided to put a retractable roof on Louis Armstrong Stadium as well, which helps keep play moving.
4. Rod Laver Arena
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Tournament: Australian Open (Grand Slam)
- Capacity: 14,820
Rod Laver Arena is the showcase court at the Australian Open each year. Like the other Grand Slams, it is an outdoor arena, but it does have a retractable roof for when the weather gets poor. This is great news to keep the fans engaged, and make it one of the best team atmospheres out there.
Many people are blown away by how Rod Laver Arena has evolved over the years. They have made it so that there’s no poor seat in the stadium, and getting the roof closed is a very fast process. The shade inside is also nice for fans, as the Australian summers can get pretty hot during the tournament.
3. Court Philippe Chatrier
- Location: Paris, France
- Tournament: French Open (Grand Slam)
- Capacity: 15,000
The atmosphere at the French Open is a little more subdued than the other three majors. That doesn’t mean that Court Philip Chatrier does not get crazy at times, but it’s not exactly the same as in New York City, Melbourne, or London.
One thing that does help out at Roland Garros is that it is a fairly intimate setting, despite seating over 15,000. Seats are very close to each other, and it feels smaller than the numbers would suggest. Of course, seeing it hosts the biggest names in the sport, helps make the atmosphere a little bit better as well.
It just beats out Rod Laver Arena, but it doesn’t stack up to the final two. There’s a bit of a gap after Court Philip Chatrier, as the majority of fans are well aware it ultimately comes down to two stadiums as the best.
2. Arthur Ashe Stadium
- Location: New York, United States
- Tournament: US Open
- Capacity: 23,771
Many would say that Arthur Ashe Stadium is the most electric tennis stadium in the entire world. It is true that when there is a night match at the US Open, it can get very rowdy as fans get into the match and pull for their preferred player.
The biggest stadium for tennis in the world seats over 23,000, and it now has a retractable roof so that there are never any major delays. That all equates to one of the best spots out there, and many would argue it’s the greatest of them all.
1. Wimbledon Centre Court
- Location: Wimbledon, England
- Tournament: Wimbledon Championships (Grand Slam)
- Capacity: 14,979
There is no court in all of tennis that is as instantly recognizable as Centre Court at Wimbledon. This is where some of the most iconic matches in the history of the sport have taken place, and history alone makes it one of the greatest sports venues in the world.
The Wimbledon Championships is regarded as the No.1 tennis tournament in the world and the center court has a huge part in making it so special.
There is a very unique feel to Wimbledon in general, but Centre Court is always just a little bit different. As the tournament progresses, the court starts to get worn out in the most traveled areas. This means that there are bad bounces from time to time, but players have to go through and not let that worry them too much.
A recent change to Centre Court at Wimbledon is the addition of a retractable roof. Rain can no longer postpone tournaments, which is great news for fans and players. Since it rains so often in England, having this setup helps.
You can also read:
- 15 Best Tennis Courts In The World
- 12 Best Tennis Workouts
- 5 Steps To Perfect Tennis Slice Technique
- 15 Best Tennis Books
- 7 Best Tennis Ball Hoppers
