News The Brazil Mastercup tennis tournament, which finished on Saturday (12 December), was the 20th Rio 2016 test event and the last of the year However, it also marked the start of an exciting new era for sport in Brazil It was the first competition to be staged in Barra Olympic Park – the heart of the Rio 2016 Games – and was marked by the inauguration of the Olympic Tennis Centre, which promises to revolutionise the sport in the region Fittingly, the centre court has been named after Maria Esther Bueno, Brazil’s greatest ever player, who won 19 grand slam titles (seven singles and 12 doubles) in the late 1950s and 1960s Bueno, according to the International Tennis Federation (ITF) the most graceful and artistic player of her generation, was present at the inauguration on Saturday “This is one of the happiest days of my life It’s a beautiful tribute for me, but also a great victory for all women, as it shows that we can also do great things”Maria Esther Bueno Bueno was impressed by the new stadium, saying: “It’s so beautiful and grandiose that I actually thought this could not be just the tennis stadium – I thought it must be the Olympic Stadium!”With 16 courts – 10 for competition and six for training, including a permanent 10,000-seat centre court and two other show courts with 5,000 and 3,000 temporary seats – the tennis centre is one of seven new venues being constructed along two existing ones in the main Olympic Park It will also host wheelchair tennis and five-a-side football during the Paralympic Games and afterwards will be part of the Olympic Training Centre, providing top-level facilities for elite athletes and youngsters from social projects, while allowing Brazil to host more major tournaments Rio 2016 venues near completionGo tennis crazy with our interactive infographicBrazil’s other tennis legend, three-time French Open Champion and former world no 1 Gustavo Kuerten, also took part in the opening and was suitably impressed  “The sensation of entering this beautiful arena is indescribable It makes me want to play again Imagine what it’s going to be like next year – we’re going to put on a great tennis show”Gustavo Kuerten  Kuerten couldn't resist a quick knock-up on the new centre court (Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro) The test event featured 74 Brazilian players – men and women, seniors and juniors, and wheelchair players – playing in singles and doubles matches across three days (10-12 December) Among them was Brazil’s no 1 wheelchair tennis player, Natalia Mayara, who won her tournament “The court was incredible, with perfect accessibility,” she said “I couldn’t have hoped for more This medal is a symbol of my objective for next year I want to make history here ”Find out about wheelchair tennis with our interactive infographicOne of Brazil’s main medal hopes for next year, Bruno Soares, played an exhibition match and said the fast hard court was perfect for him and his doubles partner, world no 1 Marcelo Melo “It was very important to take part because it allowed me to feel the conditions on the court, the type of surface, the speed of the balls and the temperature I’ve already started to imagine playing with the stands full of fans, and we are going to arrive well-prepared ”Rio 2016 tested various aspects of the venue, with the main focus being on the competition area and workforce operations Executive sport director Rodrigo Garcia said: “We received a lot of feedback from the players, about the speed of the court etc Everything went well and the outcome was very positive Of course we still need to make some adjustments, for example in the colour of the panels at the back of the court, but this is why we have test events ”“We have had a good week here in Rio and tennis is proud to be the first event held in the new Olympic Park We look forward to a great Olympic Games next summer”Juan Margets, ITF general secretary   The Olympic Tennis Centre is one of the most-eye catching venues in the Olympic Park (Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro) The venue will host the world’s top players next year, with Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer among those to have already expressed their excitement at playing in Rio Bueno said it would be a watershed moment for the sport in Brazil “We are going to see fantastic things here next year,” she said “All the the leading players will come, especially those who have been on the circuit for some time, as it could be their last shot at Olympic glory We will see some incredible matches ”Along with the Maria Esther Bueno Centre Court, nine secondary courts were used for the test event, with Thiago Monteiro and Gabriela Ce winning the men’s and women’s titles After the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the centre court and eight more of the match courts will be maintained Thomaz Bellucci, the world no 37 who also played an exhibition match in the test event, said that while Brazil has sporadically produced good players, the new centre would allow the country to reach a new level in terms of development “Having facilities like this for tennis is a chance to change the face of the game in Brazil” Thomaz Bellucci Kuerten, who has already spoken of the new venue’s power to transform tennis in his country, said: “It is a very important development, for the attention that the Olympics will bring and because we will now have facilities of this level for our players ” The test event featured singles and doubles tournaments as well as exhibition matches (Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro) Check out the best images from the test event