The International Tennis Federation (ITF) wanted it to be held in August 2015, but the organisation's vice-president Juan Margets said it will now be played in December of that year.

The courts, on the Olympic Park cluster at Barra da Tijuca, will include a 10,000-seat centre court, a 5,000-seat show court one, a 3,000-seat show court two and a further 250 seats for other courts.

"We wanted August, one year before the Rio Olympics, so we will have the same weather conditions," Margets told Bloomberg at the French Open in Roland Garros.

"That wasn't possible, and they came back to us with one or two months' delay.

"Then we were the ones to suggest December, because we have the US Open in September and also Davis Cup and Fed Cup after that."

He added that organisers have started resurfacing work at the tennis venue.

Tennis at Rio 2016 will take place on the main Olympic Park cluster at Barra da Tijuca, pictured in May 2013 LatinContentWO/Getty Images



The test event will be an ITF event with $25,000 (£14,900/€18,300) of prize money.

Rio 2016 have insisted the revised date is not because of a delay in construction - something which has affected some Olympic venues.

A spokesman said: "Construction of the tennis centre is progressing as scheduled and there is no delay.

"Rio 2016 test events will take place in three clusters with Barra Olympic Park-based sports focused in the second cluster, which will begin in November 2015."

In April, ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti hit back at claims by Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes that the governing body had made unacceptable demands on the number of seats at the Olympic venue, calling them "inaccurate and unfair".

Organisers have been criticised for delays with construction, with International Golf Federation President Peter Dawson saying in March that it was unlikely the golf course for Rio 2016 would be able to hold a test event because it is behind schedule.

Rio 2016 is due to be held from August 5 to 21.