Melbourne, 3 May 2013 | Tennis Australia

The Australian Open, Grand Slam of Asia-Pacific, was last night awarded the Melbourne Achiever Award at the Committee for Melbourne Annual Dinner at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The Melbourne Achiever Award is awarded to an individual or organisation that has made a significant and sustained contribution to the city that will leave, or has left, a long lasting legacy for Melbourne.

Tennis Australia CEO, Steve Wood, accepted the Award on behalf of the Australian Open.

“The Melbourne Achiever Award is a prestigious honour that I am delighted to accept on behalf of the Australian Open,” Wood said.

“It’s great that the Australian Open has been recognised for the contribution it makes to the city of Melbourne.

“We have a fantastic hardworking team whose goal is to deliver outstanding experiences each year for all tournament stakeholders, which includes fans, players, media and corporate partners.

“This year the Australian Open offered a record prize purse of AUD$30 million, and as part of the Victorian Government’s $366 million Melbourne Park redevelopment project, new facilities were provided for players and fans.

“These facilities included eight new Italian clay courts, eight indoor practice courts and five outdoor practice courts, as well as a new gymnasium, treatment and recovery rooms for players. Fans also had access to more open spaces, shaded areas, improved ticket facilities and more food and beverage options,” Wood continued.

Nominations for the Melbourne Achiever Award are received over a four-week period and the winner is decided by the Board of the Committee for Melbourne.

> Find out more information about the award