Event guide
Travel to Grand Slam tennis tournaments: tickets, day selection and court plan
Getting final tickets is difficult and expensive. However, the most watched days of the tournament are the first week and those tickets are both available and cheap.
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Most people who are considering going to a Grand Slam tournament look directly for the final day: the most expensive ticket, the hardest to reach slots and one match per day. However, the most productive days of these tournaments are in the first week. On opening days, all courts operate simultaneously; With a single ticket, you can watch six or seven matches from ten in the morning to nine in the evening, and you can see several players from the top twenty of the world rankings from a few meters away.
This guide explains the ticket logic of the four major tournaments, day selection and how to combine the tournament day and the city day.
Four tournaments, four different systems
| Tournament | City | Period | ticket system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | Melbourne | Fireplace | Direct selling, easiest to access |
| Roland Garros | Paris | May-June | Registration first, then gradual sales |
| Wimbledon | London | June-July | Lottery system + daily queue |
| US Open | new York | August-September | Direct sales + dynamic price |
Which day should you go?
- 1.-4. days: All courts full, many matches with one ticket. The best price performance is here; Even if you don't buy a main court ticket, you can watch the top ranked players on the outer courts.
- 5.-7. days: Third round. The number of matches decreases, but the quality increases; There are still good matches on the outer courts.
- Second week: Matches only on main courts. Away court tickets should not be purchased these days, there will be no matches left to watch.
- Quarter-finals and beyond: Two-three matches a day, the price is at its peak. The risk is also high if you want to see a specific player; Take into account that you will be eliminated.
- In tournaments with a risk of rain (Wimbledon, Roland Garros), main court tickets with a covered roof guarantee seeing the game even if the day is cancelled.
Court ticket types
The ticket determines two things: which court you can enter and whether you have a reserved seat on that court. The main court ticket also grants access to the outer courts; the opposite is not true.
| Ticket | Scope | For whom |
|---|---|---|
| Main court (numbered) | Main court + all outer courts | Those who want to watch a certain star for sure |
| Second court (numbered) | Second court + outer courts | Good match, low price |
| General admission (outside courts) | Unnumbered, first come, first seated | The most productive option for the first week |
| night session | Evening program only | Those who want to visit the city during the day |
Practical notes on tournament day
- Go early. If you enter with an outside court ticket, seating on the courts with good matches fills up at nine in the morning; Being in the area when the door opens determines the day.
- Check the schedule in the morning. The court distribution is usually announced the previous evening and the matches start when the previous match ends, there is no fixed time.
- If you are sitting on a court, do not change positions before the match is over; During the game, the transition between courts is opened only when players change places.
- Sunscreen and hat: there is no shade on outdoor courts and a match can take up to three hours. Closed bottled water can usually be inserted, glass cannot.
- Eating and drinking is expensive within the area; Many tournaments allow outside food to be brought in, so check the rules beforehand.
Combining a tournament with a city day
Tennis tournaments usually last two weeks and it is not necessary to be at the venue every day. A balance of two tournament days, two city days balances both fatigue and budget.
- The tournament venue in London is approximately 40 minutes from the city center by metro and train connection. On city days, the British Museum permanent collection is free and the Rosetta Stone and Egyptian galleries are the busiest sections; Enter at morning opening. Finish the evening by the river, around Tower Bridge, where the glass floor on the bridge's overpass sits right above the opening deck.
- In Paris, the tournament venue is next to the Bois de Boulogne and 25 minutes from the center by metro. On a city day, Louvre Museum first session in the morning, Eiffel Tower and Trocadéro terrace in the afternoon are a good combination; Buy your tower ticket weeks in advance.
- The area in New York is in Queens and is a 35-minute subway ride from Manhattan. Central Park is the right place to relieve tournament fatigue on a city day; It takes two hours to walk from the north end of the park to the south. Then Metropolitan Museum of Art is right on the edge of the park and contains more than two million works, it can't fit into less than three hours.
- Keep the tournament day morning light; You will spend eight to ten hours in the area, and most of it is spent standing or sitting on a hard seat.
Keep planning
Frequently asked questions
When to buy Grand Slam tickets?
Applications for the draw for Wimbledon open months before the tournament, usually in the autumn. At Roland Garros, registration is required first and sales open gradually. The Australian Open and US Open have direct sales and are easier to access.
On which day are the most matches watched?
The first four days of the tournament. All courts operate at the same time and you can watch six or seven matches with a single ticket. In the second week, only matches remain on the main courts.
Is an outside court ticket enough?
It is more than enough for the first week and gives the best price performance. Do not take for the second week; On those days, there are no matches left on the outer courts.
If it rains, will my ticket money be refunded?
It varies depending on the tournament; Generally, a partial or full refund will be given if very few games have been played during the day. The program continues for closed roof main court tickets. Flight and accommodation are not refundable under any circumstances.
