Australian Open’s second-largest stadium, the Melbourne Arena is being renamed the John Cain Arena in memory of Victoria’s late Premier John Cain. Cain played an instrumental role in keeping the Australian Open in Melbourne.

The multipurpose arena with a capacity of 10,300-capacity has gone through many name changes over the years.  The arena opened in 2000 as the Vodafone Arena. In 2008, it became the Hisense Arena and in 2018, the arena was renamed the Melbourne Arena to promote the Melbourne brand to international visitors.

John Cain served as Victoria’s Premier from 1982 to 1990 and played an important role in the tournament’s relocation from Melbourne’s Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club to the Melbourne Park complex in 1988.

Australian Open’s third-biggest stadium is the Margaret Court Arena, named after one of Australia’s greatest tennis players. Court won 24 grand slam singles titles and 64 total majors, including doubles and mixed doubles.

The stadium’s name has attracted a lot of controversy in recent years. Margaret Court has openly expressed her anti-gay views over the years. Many former and current players have called for the Margaret Court Arena to be renamed but so far such calls have had no impact.