Katelyn Caniford | Towpath Tennis Pro
Tournament
|
Month
|
Town
|
Australian
Open
|
January
|
Melbourne
|
French
Open
|
May
- June
|
Paris
|
Wimbledon
|
June
- July
|
London
|
US
Open
|
August
- September
|
New
York City
|
Any
tennis fan dreams of attending one of the major grand slam tournaments at some
point in their lifetime. However what if you were able to attend not just one,
but ALL of the majors. How much would that cost? Where could you secure the
best deals? Well we’re here to give you the breakdown of how much multiple
trips like this would cost, and the best methods to save money.
Let’s
assume that a regular couple living in Akron, Ohio were trying to attend all
the major tournaments. They also would love to see the quarterfinals in each
event. Economically, the best way for them to save on their finances would be
to purchase “tour packages”. These are a perfect option when traveling overseas.
Some of the best packages are available on TWS Tennis Tours (http://www.twstennistours.com/)
or Tennis Tours (http://www.tennistours.com).
TWS
Tennis Tours seemed to have the most bang for your buck as a typical package
would include not just tickets to the event itself, but the hotels and flights
as well. They have tours for all of the majors aside from the US Open. One of
their most popular packages is for the Australian Open which they call the
“Australian Luxury Tour Package”.
Included
are - 4 quarterfinal tickets (or 3 semi-finals tickets instead),
-
a round trip economy air flight from LAX
to Melbourne with private airport transfers to and from the hotel
-
a booking to a five-star suite hotel with
daily breakfast buffets
-
At the event itself-access to the
championship bar and corporate lounges, and VIP access to the main gates
-
Private walking tours and a tour of the
local art museum are included as well
-
Buggy to ride around in and an exclusive
wine tasting
 |
| topfemaletennisplayers.com |
This
particular package assumes that you will be staying for 2 whole weeks and the
cost would be $14,950. However, in order to save even more you can drop your
stay down or sell off the other tickets included (assuming two individuals are
going). This would most likely drop the whole cost down to about $7,500.
Now
of course, there are going to be things you’ll need/want to do that might not
necessarily be involved in these tour packages. Such as food and attractions.
It’s safe to budget about $400 for the attractions assuming that you’re
attending about 4 events at $100 each. As for food, you’re looking to spend
about $1,100 assuming your meals are eaten at places other than fast food restaurants.
Also keep in mind too that if you’re a drinker it might be a good idea to add
on another $9-$15 per day depending on how much you plan on consuming.
Similar
packages on TW Tennis Tours are not nearly as expensive as they are only over 5
days, don’t include a flight, and typically only give you two tickets instead
of four. Their Wimbledon and French Open packages are fairly similar to the
Australian package above, except this time costing $6,350. Add in a round trip
flight for $1,100 per ticket and you’re at a total of $8,550 just for the
essentials. Add on the $400 for attractions and $1,100 for food and you’re
looking at about $10,050 for the whole trip.
Fortunately,
for a couple living in Akron, Ohio the US Open isn’t nearly as expensive as the
overseas tournaments. To attend the quarters and semifinals of the open (types
of tickets they offer) and staying in a 3 star hotel over 5 days, you’re
looking to spend about $1,695 each. Factor in the food and attraction prices,
plus money for gas ($100 on the high end depending on your car) and you’re
looking at a little $5,000.
One
way to save even more money when traveling to the US Open is by purchasing
tickets for the first week of play rather than waiting for the later rounds.
That way, not only are you saving money but you also get to explore all the
action on the grounds. A lot of the less expensive ticket packages for the first week
even grant you access to all of the courts!
Overall
on the high end of attending the quarterfinals of all four majors for two
people at a moderate comfort level, expect to drop around $33,000. Of course
these are all rough estimates and you can definitely eliminate staying at nicer
hotels or maybe not eating a high class meal every night. Either way though,
definitely be prepared to drop a pretty penny if attending these grand level
events is on your bucket list.
For
those of you that would LOVE to attend the majors but just can’t fit it into
your budgets, there are plenty of other tournaments to attend that might get you more bang for your buck. Indian
Wells, Key Biscayne, and the Western & Southern in Cincinnati are just a
few that will give fans a more intimate atmosphere
to see your favorite players at a much better price tag!
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