Crowdfunding appeal to get international tennis tournaments in Nick Kyrgios's home town of Canberra

An unusual crowdfunding appeal has begun to get regular international tennis matches played in Canberra, the home of Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios.

A recent multi-million-dollar revamp of the Canberra Tennis Centre at Lyneham did not include technology upgrades or the additional broadcast lighting needed to attract international tournaments.

So Tennis ACT has started an appeal online to help to fund the changes retrospectively.

"It's really about providing the best tournament experience to both the athletes and the spectators," Tennis ACT CEO Ross Triffitt said.

"We've been able to secure some great international events through our contracts with Tennis Australia.

"But the upgrades are about ensuring that people have the best possible experience, that we keep them coming back and that we can secure these events on an ongoing basis beyond the three years."

The first donation has come from the family of Kyrgios, in memory of his late grandmother who regularly watched the youngster play at Lyneham.

"Nick thought it was a great idea to donate one of the spectator shade huts and call it Nanna's hut," Nick's mother Nill Kyrgios said.

"He has great memories of his Nanna driving him to training and sitting there, watching him.

"So I think he wants to remember that."

Using the new facilities, Tennis ACT wants to add an exhibition match with Kyrgios and also the popular Legends tennis events to its schedule.

However, management was also considering what facilities could work for regular tennis players.

"I think having a grandstand stadium court would be something that was very special, but we would need to ensure that it was getting used regularly," Mr Triffitt said.

"We have had a couple of thousand seats there in the past that were not getting used and it becomes expensive to maintain.

"So it really it is about what event content there is in Canberra the future, and perhaps looking beyond tennis where a multi-use stadium could be used in other areas."

The Canberra Tennis Centre hosted an open day at the weekend to encourage more young players to take up the sport.

The centre includes a tennis pavilion plus concrete, synthetic grass and clay courts.

A formal launch date for the renovations will be held later this year.