Central Park’s Ice Rink Becomes a Hybrid Grass Tennis Court with Bio-X™ Fiber

In June, the ice rink in Central Park, New York, became a grass tennis court for the week as part of an activation for the Championships. After several days of court construction and preparation, tennis was played on the court from Friday 26 to Monday 29 June.

"I think New York's a great place to do an activation for the Championships because it's a big tennis city. It's the home of the US Open. We've tried to do something a bit different this time, a bit more complicated."

Mark Ferguson, Head Agronomist at AELTC

The hybrid grass tennis court was stitched with Bio-X™ Fiber, the 100% biodegradable hybrid fibre SIS Pitches launched in 2026 as an alternative to the polyethylene fibres used in conventional hybrid systems. The project also used SIS Pitches’ GAMEREADY Pre-Stitched technology, and was the first tennis court and the first full installation to use Bio-X™ Fiber.

Growing the Court at Tuckahoe Turf Farm

Tuckahoe Turf Farm grew the grass, and when it was thick enough, SIS Pitches stitched Bio-X™ Fiber into it at a depth of 45mm, directly at the turf farm. Tuckahoe Turf Farm then harvested and delivered the turf to Central Park and installed the court.

Because there’s no synthetic carpet to lay, any turf farm grass can be converted to a hybrid surface at short notice. Installation of a full soccer field can take as little as three days.

A Decade of Hybrid Grass Research in Tennis

The Central Park court builds on a hybrid research programme at the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI). SIS Pitches has been involved since the programme began. Trials started at the STRI in Bingley in 2015, and the first court baselines were stitched in 2018.

The surface is 95% natural grass and 5% fibre reinforcement, and the focus is on root development and reinforcement. On high-use baselines, the fibre helps keep the surface level and keeps more leaf on the plant, which protects the crown and avoids the undulations that could cause injury.

"We looked at the success of hybrid pitches in football and rugby. It's been a game changer in the industry, and we felt there was no reason why we couldn't start to use those types of technologies in tennis. We've stitched practice courts down at the club. We've stitched courts at our community venues, and what we've seen is greater resilience, greater wear tolerance and an ability to play more often on those courts. Those courts are often the first ones back in play after we've had rain."

Mark Ferguson, Head Agronomist at AELTC

Why Bio-X™ Matters

After the event, the court was removed and the turf was industrially composted. Bio-X™ is certified to biodegrade through industrial composting within 12 weeks, so the fibre and grass can be disposed of together without being separated, instead of going to landfill.

With Bio-X™, we wanted to show that innovation and sustainability don't have to pull in different directions. At the end of its life it can be industrially composted with the grass instead of going to landfill, leaving no persistent microplastics behind."

Alan Thomson, Sales Director at SIS Pitches

Related News

A look at the hybrid grass technology beneath the surface of the World Cup final pitch

Spain’s victory over Argentina in Sunday’s World Cup Final at the New York New Jersey Stadium concluded FIFA’s most ambitious edition to date given its expanded format, multiple time zones and variety of climates across the three host nations.

SIS Pitches Launches 100% Biodegradable Fiber For Hybrid Sports Pitches

Discover Bio-X™ by SIS Pitches - a high-performance, biodegradable hybrid sports pitch fiber designed to reduce waste and eliminate persistent microplastics at end of life.

Project Enquiry

To learn more about our hybrid grass products or to enquire about a project, contact our team for a free consultation.

Contact