Many tennis aces have played on the Center Court of the BMW Open. But the traditional clay court has had its day – a new, larger one is needed. The tournament at the English Garden is known to everyone in the tennis scene. In spring – this year from April 13th to 21st – the start of the ATP series in Germany takes place every year on Aumeisterweg in Schwabing-Freimann. Famous players such as John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Boris Becker, Michael Stich and Roger Federer have already been guests on the MTTC Iphitos grounds.
From 2025 onwards, the traditional tournament should once again gain significantly in reputation. The professional players’ association ATP upgraded the BMW Open’s rankings last fall – as the only European tournament. Whoever leaves the field as winner from next year onwards will no longer receive 250 world ranking points as before, but 500. As with the events in Hamburg and Halle. Only the nine Masters tournaments, which bring 1000 points, and the four Grand Slams with 2000 points for the winner are more important. The prize money is also increasing – from 600,000 to two and a half million euros.
This is already noticeable. “This year, for the first time, we are fully booked on seven out of nine days – and that’s still in the old category,” says Iphitos chairman Fabian Tross. Big names will be there in April: In addition to top stars such as Alexander Zverev, Holger Rune, Jan-Lennard Struff and Dominic Thiem, Andy Murray, Matteo Berrettini and Felix Auger-Aliassime will also be hitting the Munich clay this time.
The dawn of the new era will only really become noticeable with the renovation of the site. The reorganization is beyond discussion: the ATP’s condition for the upgrade was that at least 6,000 spectators could watch the high-class matches on the Center Court. The current Center Court only offers 4,300 seats. Which is why a new one needs to be built.
Matthias Schöner didn’t want to talk about architecture when he presented the first plans to local politicians together with the Schwabing-Freimanns association board on Tuesday evening. First of all, emphasizes the architect from Albert Speer and Partner, it’s not about optics. It’s about the sustainable use of an “area that you only need ten days a year”.
Ideas for location and mobility concept
The new center court that Schöner sketches is therefore a functional building. A permanent stadium with 19 rows of seats, which will be supplemented by temporary system grandstands for seven additional rows of seats for the duration of the BMW Open. In the basic configuration, 4,200 spectators could watch the games, in the tournament variant 7,200. “These system stands are very high-quality elements, efficiently erectable scaffolding that do not interfere with the ground.” And they are transportable, meaning they can be used at other locations at different times. The architect knows that this construct is already common practice at tennis tournaments such as those in Bad Homburg or Berlin.
Schöner also designed the new arena with a hydraulically height-adjustable roof. “With the roof lowered, pure club use would be possible, like an air dome.” A roof over the future center court is “not a must,” says board member Fabian Tross. “But having one is a strong wish of the ATP umbrella organization.”
The 2023 tournament winner, Holger Rune (left), with Iphitos board member Fabian Tross.
(Photo: Mladen Lackovic/Imago)
The question of location remains. The new arena is expected to be built in the south of the club grounds, adjacent to the student town of Freimann. This corner turned out to be the most sensible in the feasibility study. “We tried everything to build the new stadium at the old location. But unfortunately that is not possible because of the old trees,” explains Schöner.
In any case, the number of tennis courts should not be reduced as a result of the renovation: the club wants to compensate for the loss of courts in the south due to the new stadium construction with three to four new playing areas on the area of the current center court.
And there are also ideas for a mobility concept: Schöner advocates directing visitors to the parking spaces at the nearby Fröttmaninger Arena. From there they could easily reach the tournament grounds with the U6.
MTTC Iphitos now has two years to build the new stadium. “But more realistic – and also acceptable from an ATP perspective – is completion in 2028,” says Tross.
The city and the Free State have already signaled that they will support the project. However, because neither the planning nor the schedules are in the clear so far, the club is still keeping a low profile with concrete figures on the costs. Schwabing-Freimann’s local politicians support the club’s development. Now the ball is in the city council’s court.