The original National Tennis Centre in Toronto was located in the north end of York University's Keele Campus next to the Metro Toronto Track and Field Centre. The first tournament at the facility was the 1976 Rothmans Canadian Open. Originally built with clay courts, it was changed to Har-Tru hardcourts in time for the 1979 tournament. The main structure was an open-air stadium that held roughly 10,000 fans, and a second show court held roughly 2,000. The site had six courts for play, and 4 practice courts (used for housing player facilities).