Sydney wants new stadium in bid for Australian Open Michael Chammas Kazakhstan's Mikael Kukushkin in action at the Sydney International.
Tennis NSW is lobbying for 10 outdoor courts to be built next to the proposed $150million indoor stadium near the CBD that could allow Sydney to challenge for the Australian Open from 2037.
The NSW government will this month start a feasibility study on where the proposed 10,000-seat venue should be built, with Tennis NSW working with Basketball NSW and Netball NSW over the plans. 
While Moore Park and Wentworth Park are the logical locations for the multi-purpose facility, Tennis NSW boss Alistair MacDonald believes the government should also consider additional courts that could enhance Sydney's chances of hosting the opening grand slam of the season when the licence at Melbourne Park expires in 20 years.
"Not only do we want to get the best players here with the tournaments we've got, but we also want to build for the future, which means securing new events in Sydney," MacDonald told Fairfax Media.
"We wouldn't want to limit ourselves for one day in 20 or 30 years time, who is to say we can't have the biggest event in Australia here. We have a lack of courts in Sydney, so to have additional courts around the venue is important if we want to have a bona fide major event here."
Transformation of the Moore Park precinct into a sporting hub to rival Melbourne has begun, with Allianz Stadium set to be knocked down for a new 55,000-seat stadium on existing SCG Trust land.
The 10,000-seat indoor facility, which would need a retractable roof for it to be used at a grand slam, would likely need to be built on Centennial and Moore Park Trust land, with any additional courts to occupy more of its land.
There is an appetite for top-class tennis in Sydney, with Roger Federer's Fast 4 match against Lleyton Hewitt last year selling out inside 48 hours, while another sell- out is expected when Rafael Nadal arrives for the Fast 4 tournament at Allphones Arena on Monday night.
While Sydney hosting the Australian Open remains a pipe dream, MacDonald believes there needs to be a long-term vision that could provide Sydney with the chance to secure top-flight tennis tournaments and events in the future.
"I don't think in the short term you'd build a facility that would cater for an event of that size [Australian Open], but you'd probably like to set it up that you could expand it if the opportunity arose," MacDonald said. "You'd need two show courts, which would enable us to have two broadcast standard courts, maybe with a canopy as well. You'd need between six to 10 practice courts as well as the stadium with 10,000 seats. The players would love the proximity from the airport to their hotels and to the tennis and experiencing the city.
"There's definitely a gap in the market in Sydney ... the three sports [tennis, basketball and netball] are looking for a venue that can enable us to attract the biggest events our sports can bring here, as well as the regular season content [NSW Swifts and Sydney Kings]."
There is now a push for a roof over Ken Rosewall arena at Sydney Olympic Park, but Sydney has fallen behind Brisbane and Melbourne in regards to tennis facilities.
The city is unable to provide a guarantee of matches during wet conditions, with some players opting to play in Brisbane, which has multiple undercover courts.
"When you bring that sort of talent here, you need to ensure the game goes on," MacDonald said.
"This venue needs to be brought up to speed. The needs of the players have changed. They need to be guaranteed matches and we can't do that without a roof. Even in addition to the roof, we need to upgrade our facilities and step up to be in line with Brisbane and Melbourne."