The possibility that New Zealand's first clay court tennis complex could be built in Napier is exciting, says a professional tennis coach.
As part of its expansion plans for Park Island, Napier City Council is investigating the prospect of including a world-class complex with a mix of indoor and outdoor courts, plus a "No1" court for high-profile matches with an up to 5000-spectator capacity.
"This would be a huge thing for Napier and will help us to establish top tennis players in New Zealand," Hawke's Bay tennis coach Simon Winter said. "Around 80 per cent of the world's top players developed their skills on clay courts."
Napier City Council chief executive Wayne Jack said Napier would be the first city in the country to have clay tennis courts.
Tennis New Zealand supported the idea and the next step would be to talk to the clubs and stakeholders here, Jack said.