[3] In response to the issue of recurring heatwaves at the Australian Open, as well as a demand for a smaller multi-purpose stadium in the city, the Government of Victoria announced in January 2010 a redevelopment plan for Margaret Court Arena, to occur in tandem with a broader upgrade to the Melbourne Park precinct, at a total cost of $363 million.

[4] Lendlease was awarded the contract in October 2011, at which point the government announced the cost of the upgrade to the arena exclusively; $180 million.

[10] National Basketball League club Melbourne United has played some of its home matches at Margaret Court Arena.

The arena has played host to artists such as Bob Dylan, Cloud Control, The Black Keys, Delta Goodrem, Demi Lovato, Hilltop Hoods, Kraftwerk, LCD Soundsystem, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Selena Gomez, Imagine Dragons, 5 Seconds of Summer, Angus & Julia Stone, Little Mix, The B-52s, ATEEZ, Aurora and many more.

[14][15] In May 2017, an open letter by Court was published in The West Australian, addressed to the board of Qantas and its then CEO Alan Joyce.

"[18] Court has been a critic of homosexuality and gender identity for several decades and is quoted as saying that the presence of "LGBT in the schools, it's the devil, it's not of God".

[21][22] Whilst some former tennis players such as Martina Navratilova and John McEnroe have staged on-court protests over the name of the arena,[23] other public figures such as former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull have opposed these efforts on the basis that the arena "celebrates Margaret Court the tennis player" and not her personal beliefs.