Munich – It will be big, it will certainly be beautiful, and it will definitely be unique in Munich and all of Bavaria: the new Center Court on the MTTC Iphitos facility on Aumeisterweg. “If everything really goes well, it could just work out until 2027,” says club president Fabian Tross, “but it should be ready by 2028 at the latest.” Who knows: Maybe the 31-year-old Alexander Zverev will open the new gem. Not for any men’s 30 match, but of course as part of the BMW Open.
It is only for this traditional tournament, the next edition of which will take place again at the northern end of the English Garden from April 13th to 21st, that the club is revamping its facility, which is without a doubt one of the most beautiful of its kind. This center court, which can accommodate 7,300 spectators, will only be used for nine days – for the rest of the tennis season, every club member can feel like Djokovic & Co. when he flicks his backhand over the net in this professional atmosphere.
New tennis arena to secure BMW Open in Munich
Why is Iphitos making such an investment? Well, because otherwise he would lose the ATP tournament in the long run, Tross explained at the meeting of the District Committee 12 Munich-Schwabing-Freimann. The ATP has decided to reduce the number of global tournaments, which will mean that the smallest tournament category, the so-called 250s, will soon disappear completely. Since the MTTC Iphitos, which has been organizing the International Tennis Championships in Bavaria for years, does not want to leave behind the BMW Open, which is very popular with members and non-members alike, the possibility of an upgrade was explored: promotion to the 500, like the tournaments in Hamburg and hall.
After countless discussions with the members, the city and the Free State, the green light was given and the application to the ATP went out – and was actually approved. Only Doha and Dallas were also upgraded globally. Under several conditions, one of them in the Iphitos case: a larger Center Court.
Old Iphitos Stadium cannot be expanded – two locations in sight
The current Center Court has a capacity of just over 4,000 spectators: more than 3,000 not enough for the ATP. Such an expansion is not feasible: the trees around it are too worthy of protection, and it would also interfere too much with the neighboring ensemble of the Max Planck Institute, which is a listed building.
So another location is needed. The architectural firm Albert Speer + Partner, which specializes in sports stadium construction, has now presented five variants in a feasibility study with the city’s responsible departments, three of which are not debatable, which leaves two proposals that interfere with the existing facility to varying degrees.
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Since the Center Court is only used during the few BMW Open days in April, the decision was made to create a not-so-bulky permanent version with around 4,200 spectators, which can be expanded to the desired 7,200 seats using temporary stands. What is desirable, but not a must according to ATP, is a mobile roof, which can be lowered by a few meters using a hydraulic solution when off-mode in order to reduce the visual impact. That costs extra.
BMW Open Munich: Prize money increases to 2.5 million euros
What the whole thing will actually cost is still being kept under wraps at this stage of planning. In any case, the city is planning to vote on the further approval process in the city council, i.e. before the summer break. According to Tross, the city and the Free State have already classified the project as eligible for funding.
As far as the parking situation is concerned, the Allianz Arena parking garages should be used, and if FC Bayern plays, one or two BMW areas. Good news for Zverev & Co. too: The prize money will probably increase from the current 630,000 to 2.5 million euros from 2028. This should also make the Iphitos a little more attractive for the stars of the scene.
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2024-03-24 11:16:00
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