The Australian Open is now “weatherproof”, after the installation of a third retractable roof at Melbourne Park, Tennis Australia says.

The retractable roof on the Margaret Court Arena will mean matches can continue even in extreme weather events, as were experienced in 2014 when a heatwave forced multiple matches to be postponed.

The 2015 Australian Open begins in Melbourne on January 11.

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Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley said if weather prevented play for an extended period, the tournament could still be completed.

“There’s no question that now having a third stadium with a retractable roof, that if we had to in the unlikely event, we’d be able to complete the tournament,” Mr Tiley said.

“Before it was not a possibility.”

Mr Tiley said the roof could open and close in just five minutes, making it the fastest in the world.

“To be able to weatherproof this court so quickly enables us to have continuous play,” Mr Tiley said.

“Often you see in other stadiums, you’ve got to stop play before you can close the roof. That’s not the case here.”

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the redevelopment would take the 6,000-seat open air stadium, to a 7,300 state-of-the-art facility.

“It means that this Melbourne Park precinct is the only grand slam venue in the world with three courts like this,” Mr Andrews said.

“The entire tournament, not that anyone would want this to be the case, but the entire tournament can be played between centre court, Hisense and of course, the Margaret Court Arena.”

Mr Andrews said around 650,000–700,000 people were expected to attend the Australian Open this year.

“If we’re going to continue to grow the event, if we’re going to continue to reap the dividends that come from having one of the world’s four grand slams here solidly in Melbourne for the future, then we need to invest in the very best facilities.”

Mr Tiley said the third roof would mean Hisense Arena would be available to 10,000 ground pass holders for the 2015 tournament.

He said the long-range weather forecast predicted just one day over 40C degrees this year.

Heat wreaked havoc on 2014 Australian Open

In 2014, Australian Open organisers enacted the extreme heat policy early on day four of the tournament, on the third day of 40C degree-plus temperatures.

The world’s best tennis players played in extreme heat, a ball kid collapsed, water bottles melted on the court and a grand slam-record-equalling nine players retired in the first round of singles matches, before the policy was enacted.

The heat wreaked havoc on the tournament, Canadian player Frank Dancevic fainted mid-match, and was unconscious for almost a minute, after hallucinating the comic character Snoopy.

“I was dizzy from the middle of the first set and then I saw Snoopy and I thought, ‘Wow Snoopy, that’s weird,” Dancevic said.

Dancevic managed to return to the court before losing in straight sets.

Former women’s champion Victoria Azarenka described the conditions as being like “dancing in a frying pan”.

“I don’t think anybody wants to go outdoors right now,” she said as the heatwave begun.

The heat policy meant matches were suspended at the conclusion of their current set, with no scheduled matches on outside courts starting until conditions improved.