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Is French Open Premium Passion Offer worth it?

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 21:41:00 +0000

French Open 2024 Premium Passion Offer for Mens Final

If you want to experience Roland-Garros without fighting through the general admission crowds all day, the French Open offers a VIP package called the Premium Passion Offer.

Here is what you actually get, how the day flows, and whether it’s worth checking out.

What’s Included in the Package

Tour of Champions Wall and the grounds.
Exclusive access to Philippe-Chatrier Court, including the international broadcast booths and courtside seats (we even caught Coco Gauff practicing).
Meet-and-greet with a former French tennis player (we met Henri Leconte).
All-day hospitality access (Salon 102): Breakfast, lunch, and after-match snacks with open drinks flowing for over 10 hours.
Official Souvenir: A 2024 French Open tournament towel.

How the Day Unfolds

The morning starts around 8:30 AM at Gate 5 on Boulevard d’Auteuil. Our group of eight checked in and headed straight to Salon 102 inside Chatrier Stadium via Access Stair 13.

First up on the tour was the Champions Wall to meet Henri Leconte. He was fantastic—super friendly, took individual and group photos with everyone, and joked around while answering our random tennis questions.

Next, our guide took us behind the scenes into the broadcast booths overlooking Philippe-Chatrier before walking us right down to the courtside seats. Coco Gauff was out there practicing for her doubles final, so we hung out, snapped photos, and soaked in the empty-court atmosphere for about half an hour.

The tour wrapped up around 10:00 AM with a great tip from our guide: Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev were scheduled to practice on Courts 5 and 4 at 11:00 AM, so he suggested we grab breakfast quickly and head over early to beat the crowds.

The Food and Perks

The hospitality in Salon 102 was a major highlight. From breakfast right through to late-afternoon snacks, gourmet French food and drinks were served continuously for the 10+ hours we were there.

To top it all off, we walked away with an official 2024 French Open souvenir towel. Overall, it’s a remarkably smooth way to experience a Grand Slam without the usual logistical headaches.

Seat Location

If you’re wondering where your ticket actually lands you with this package, let’s talk logistics. My seat for the offer was Category 1, Access C13, Row 11, Seat 91.

Here is the honest breakdown of what that view is like, along with a few tips for future ticket hunting.

The View from C13

There are loge boxes and about 6 rows of “Category Gold” seating directly in front of this section, putting these seats roughly 20 rows back from the sideline.

To be completely honest, it’s not the absolute best view in the stadium—especially since I couldn’t snag anything closer during the regular public sales. If you’re chasing prime, close-up court views, my honest advice is to look into tickets for Suzanne-Lenglen Stadium during the earlier rounds (like the Round of 16) instead.

Access C13 sits right along the sideline, facing the chair umpire. The main catch? There is zero roof or shade on that side for most of the day. Luckily, it wasn’t a scorching day and there was a bit of cloud cover, so I survived without melting.

The Ultimate VIP Perk: Zero Lines

While the seat itself is a bit further back, the proximity to the hospitality lounge completely changes the game.

One of the biggest hidden benefits of this offer is that there is a designated door leading straight from the seating area into Salon 102.

If you’ve ever spent half a match waiting in brutal stadium queues for the restroom or a overpriced drink, you know the pain. Here? There were zero lines for the air-conditioned restrooms, the food and drink stations were fully stocked, and multiple big-screen TVs meant you didn’t miss a single point. Walking right back out to your seat in a matter of seconds is an absolute luxury.

Access C13, Row 11, Seat 91 is in the shaded area. Seat 91 happened to be an aisle seat and there was an empty row (walkway) between Row 10 and Row 11.

Is French Open Premium Passion Offer worth it?

For Mens’ final of 2024, it is a resounding YES.
It was totally worth it for €1670.00.

On the day of final, there is only one session and thus guests can stay well after trophy presentation.

I can’t say for certain if premium offer is worth it for a day with two sessions or a match that ends in a hurry. But that is sports which we can’t control.

But I can say for sure that the Premium Passion Offer from French Open is very generous and you will have a great time.

Photos from 2024 French Open Final Day

French Open 2024

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 18:54:00 +0000

Getting French Open tickets

After hitting up the Round of 16 and quarter-finals back in 2023, I headed back to Paris for my second French Open in 2024 with one clear goal: watch the men’s semi-finals and the final.

Of course, trying to grab those tickets during the standard public sale proved nearly impossible. When the normal routes fell through, I ended up going with the Premium Passion Offer package instead.

Honestly? It turned out to be a really good move.

Sure, the actual seats are just decent (Category 1, meaning you’re a bit back from the court), but the extra perks make up for it. Between getting a backstage tour of Chatrier, meeting a former French tennis pro, and having an air-conditioned lounge with endless food and drinks for ten hours straight, it takes away all the usual stadium hassles.

If you strike out on regular tickets for the big matches, it’s definitely a stress-free way to enjoy the day.

Going to Roland Garros from my AirBnb

Staying and Navigating Near Roland-Garros: A Practical Guide

(Image source: French Views Blog)

The French Open takes place at Stade Roland-Garros, a massive complex of courts and stadiums located in Paris’s 16th arrondissement in the southwest of the city.

For my trips, I prefer staying close by. I booked Airbnbs near the Michel-Ange Auteuil station in 2023 and the Porte de Saint-Cloud station in 2024. Both put me within a 15-minute walk of the tournament gates. Evening matches often run until midnight, and after a long day of tennis, the last thing you want is to fight the crowds on the Metro, catch an overpriced Uber, or wait for a packed bus.

Knowing your gate matters, too. The complex is huge, and if you end up on the wrong side of the grounds, you’re in for a very long walk around the perimeter.

When you want to head into the city, Metro lines 9 and 10 make it easy to get from the 16th arrondissement to major sights:

Arc de Triomphe: ~20 minutes
Eiffel Tower: ~30 minutes
Louvre Museum: ~30 minutes

As for getting around town, Citymapper was the clear winner back in 2023, but Google Maps caught right up by 2024. Public transit tech improved as well: in 2023 you still relied on paper tickets for the Metro, but by 2024 you could buy and reload tickets directly on your iPhone using the IDF Mobilités app. (The one exception: as of mid-2024, you still had to grab paper tickets at the machine for the regional train between CDG Airport and the central Metro network).

One important heads-up on lodging: there aren’t a ton of hotels within easy walking distance of Stade Roland-Garros. If you wait until February or March, you’ll likely struggle to find vacancies for all your dates. Book early.

That said, I did spend a few nights at a couple of local spots that are comfortably within walking distance of the grounds:

Holiday Inn Auteuil
Hotel Murat (A very small hotel, but very friendly staff.)

Court Philippe-Chatrier Seats and 2024 Prices

Court Chartier is the main court and sits 15,000 capacity. You can make an official virtual visit here.

Ticket prices of the matches that I attended in 2024

Date	Court/Seat/Match	Price
Jun 5, 2024, 8:00PM Thu	Chatrier, Access C19, Cat 1, Row 13, Seat 137, QF*	€ 615.00
Jun 7, 2024, 11:00AM Fri	Chatrier, Access C31, Cat 2, Row 1, Seat 138, SF1*	€ 920.00
Jun 7, 2024, 8:00PM Fri	Chatrier, Access C24, Cat 2, Row 3, Seat 20, SF2**	€ 169.00
Jun 9, 2024, 8:00AM Sun	Chatrier, Access C13, Cat 1, Row 11, Seat 91, MF***	€ 1670.00

* Premium Discovery Ticket (I personally don’t think it is as good deal as Premium Passion)
** Return ticket and bought the night before (Jun 5, 2024 at 6:01PM)
******* Premium Passion (worth the money)

2024 French Open Matches

Australian Open 2024

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 22:03:00 +0000

Planning the Epic Trek: Australian Open Tickets & The Visa Panic

If you’re flying all the way from New York to Melbourne for the Australian Open—like I did in January 2024—you quickly realize it’s quite the journey. Here is how I locked down the tickets, along with a crucial travel warning that might save your skin at the airport.

Scoring the Tickets (and the Souvenir Quest)

I booked my tickets directly through Tennis Australia way back in July 2023, a full six months before the tournament. They landed safely in my inbox via TicketMaster AU by August, entirely as electronic tickets.

Now, if you’re like me and stubbornly want a physical, commemorative souvenir ticket, things get tricky. The only way to get one is by buying directly through the Ticketmaster AU website when they go on sale, and they only ship within Australia using a local billing address.

My solution? I had a friendly local connection (family/friends) buy them and hold onto them until I touched down. If you want that physical keepsake, you’ll need to phone a friend Down Under!

The Airport Visa Scare

Let’s talk about a vital travel lesson: If you’re traveling from the U.S., you DO need a visa to enter Australia.

How did I find this out? By standing nervously at the airport check-in counter when the airline wouldn’t let me board. Cue mild panic.

Fortunately, the travel gods were smiling on me. Everyone at the airport—from the check-in agent to security and border control—was absolute gold. With their guidance, I pulled out my phone, downloaded the Australian ETA App, and managed to secure my visa right there on the spot in about 15 minutes.

Moral of the story: Don’t be like me. Check the officialAustralian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Visa Pagelong before you head to the airport!

Getting Around Melbourne: Trams, Tennis, and Transit Surprises

Melbourne Park—home to the Australian Open—is wonderfully easy to get to, provided you know the secret transit hacks.

The Free Tram Hack

Did you know that trams (above-ground rail) are completely free within Melbourne’s Central Business District (CBD)? That means if you stay anywhere in the CBD, your ride straight to Melbourne Park won’t cost you a single cent.

For my trip, I stayed at an Airbnb right across the street from the 70/70B Tram D6 stop, which is only about 15 minutes away from the tournament grounds across just 8 stops.

On a normal day, door-to-seat for Rod Laver Arena (RLA) took under 25 minutes flat.

The One Big Exception

Of course, Murphy’s Law applies to public transit everywhere in the world. Out of the whole trip, my flawless commute hit exactly one snag: a demonstration near Flinders Street Station blocked the roads and shut down the line. The result? I had to lace up my walking shoes and hoof it the rest of the way.

To help handle the massive tennis crowds, the city also runs an extra 70B tram specifically shuttling people between Flinders Street Station and Rod Laver Arena during the tournament. Keep an eye out for it—it’s a massive time-saver!

Free Tram Zone in Melbourne CBD (Central Business District)

Caution : Evening sessions almost always finished after 1am in the morning. Trams will be packed and they only run from Melbourne Park to Elizabeth and Flinders. I ended up walking from Elizabeth to my AirBnb which is ~.5 mile.

Tram Ride from my AirBnB to RLA

Tram Stops

Melbourne Park Entrance near RLA

Video of Tram getting in to RLA

Australian Open 2024 Event Map

I had tickets for Rod Laver Arena (etickets) and John Cain Arena (souvenir/print ticket).

The north and south south sides of both stadium has all-day shades – more to that later.

The tram (train) number 7B will stop right near by “Garden Square Entrance” and it is a short walk (~3 mins) to get into the ground.

If you bring a prohibited item (list in section 20), you will not be allowed past the gate. My GoPro was prohibited and I had to walk down to a temporary storage area to keep in a locked box. It is free for most item but the place charged me for AUD 10 because it is considered as an expensive item and needed to store in a separate box. I did not bring my GoPro for subsequent days.

Here is the PDF of original 2024 event map.

Australian Open Ground Map - 2024

Rod Laver Arena Seats

The stadium has multiple seats which are under the shade all day.
Shade comes from the retractable roof.
My seat was section 9, row A, seat 88.
The stadium has 14,820 seats.
Lower Bowl has 21 rows – from A to U
Upper Bowl has 16 rows – from AA to PP

South side : All seats in section 9, 10, 11 are in shade all day Most of the seats in section 8 and 12 are in shade all day.

North side : All seats in section 18, 1, 2 are in shade all day Most of the seats in section 17 and 3 are in shade all day.

Rod Laver Arena Official Seat Map

My Rod Laver Arena Seat

Rod Laver Arena E Ticket

Video Clips and photos from Rod Laver Arena seat

1. Video of First time walking into RLA Seat

2. Alcaraz vs Zveref Quarter Final

3. Djokovic vs Sinner Semi Final

4. Sinner vs Medvedev Championship Point

5. Celebrating Jannik Sinnier’s First Major Win

A Royal Seat Neighbor: Watching the Final with the “King of Mandarin Pop”

If sitting courtside at a Grand Slam final isn’t surreal enough, sometimes the universe decides to dial it up a notch.

During the final, my seat neighbor happened to be none other than Jay Chou—widely known as the undisputed “King of Mandarin Pop” (Wikipedia/Instagram).

You might expect international mega-superstars to be aloof, but he couldn’t have been friendlier or nicer. We ended up chatting, and best of all? He was right there in the stands, enthusiastically rooting for Jannik Sinner just like the rest of us. Not a bad way to take in a Grand Slam final!

6. Jay Chou flashing Peace

7. Saying good bye to Australian Open 2024

Behind the Velvet Ropes: The Australian Open “Fan Walk” Experience

If you ever want to feel what it’s like to cross the sacred threshold from spectator to superstar, the Australian Open’s Fan Walk package is practically built for it.

According to the official brochure, the magic is supposed to go down like this:

“The experience starts with a Guided Tour of Rod Laver Arena, culminating in undertaking the Walk of Champions, bearing the names of so many tennis greats. Then, walk onto the most hallowed court in Australia to witness a player warm-up from mere metres away. No need to take out the phone; a professional photographer will be there to capture it all, so you can simply enjoy your private piece of tennis history.”

Sounds dreamy, right? Well, I booked my slot for January 20, 2024—sandwiched right between the women’s match and the blockbuster showdown between Carlos Alcaraz and Juncheng “Jerry” Shang—and lived to tell the tale.

Waiting in the Tunnels with Tennis Royalty

Our group was remarkably tiny—just four of us total—led by a dedicated three-person crew from Tennis Australia.

As we waited in the arena tunnels near the end of the women’s match, we casually crossed paths with star chair umpire Marijana Veljović, who was sitting down getting prepped to officiate the upcoming Alcaraz match. Not a bad way to pass the time!

Step Onto the Holy Turf

Once the women’s match wrapped up (right as the winner, Zheng, was giving her post-match interview), our crew led us straight onto the hallowed turf of Rod Laver Arena.

For the next 20 minutes, we stood right there while Alcaraz and Shang hit their pre-match warm-ups. The best part? Tennis Australia provides an official photographer equipped with a heavy-duty DSLR. She happily snapped as many portraits as we wanted on her professional camera and on our own phones, meaning we actually got to look presentable in photos instead of fumbling with selfie sticks.

The Walk of Champions

We capped off the tour with about 15 minutes strolling down the Walk of Champions, tracing our fingers along the names of the legends who built the tournament. For any die-hard tennis fan, standing out on that court with just three other people is an absolute core memory.

Alcaraz and Shang (Fan Walk)

John Cain Arena

John Cain Arena is 3rd largest stadium of Australian Open and it has a roof.
My seat was section 16. row G, seat 495.

South side : All seats in section 14, 15, 16 and the sections in back are in shade all day
North side : All seats in section 1, 2, 3 and the sections in the back are in shade all day

When I bought tickets in ticketmasters.com.au, the website noted the sun/shade information.

John Cain Arena Seat Map

John Cain Arena Souvenir Ticket – Front

John Cain Arena Ticket – Back

Hurkacz vs Humbert in John Cain Arena

Norrie vs Ruud in John Cain Arena

Ticket prices of the matches that I attended

Date	Court/Seat/Match	Price
Jan 20, 2024 Sat 11:00AM	JCA Sec 16, Row G, Seat 495, 3rd Round	AUD 230.00
Jan 22, 2024 Mon 11:00AM	RLA Sec 9, Row A, Seat 88, 4th Round	AUD 544.00
Jan 22, 2024 Mon 7:00PM	RLA Sec 9, Row A, Seat 88, 4th Round	AUD 690.00
Jan 23, 2024 Tue 11:00AM	RLA Sec 9, Row A, Seat 88, QF	AUD 669.00
Jan 23, 2024 Tue 7:00PM	RLA Sec 9, Row A, Seat 88, QF	AUD 941.00
Jan 24, 2024 Wed 11:00AM	RLA Sec 9, Row A, Seat 88, QF	AUD 669.00
Jan 24, 2024 Wed 7:00PM	RLA Sec 9, Row A, Seat 88, QF	AUD 941.00
Jan 25, 2024 Thu 7:30PM	RLA Sec 9, Row A, Seat 88, W SF x 2	AUD 690.00
Jan 26, 2024 Fri 12:30PM	RLA Sec 9, Row A, Seat 88, M SF1	AUD 1,108.00
Jan 26, 2024 Fri 7:30PM	RLA Sec 9, Row A, Seat 88, W SF1	AUD 1,108.00
Jan 27, 2024 Sat 7:30PM	RLA Sec 9, Row A, Seat 88, W F	AUD 1,108.00
Jan 28, 2024 Sun 7:30PM	RLA Sec 9, Row A, Seat 88, W F	AUD 1,661.00

2024 Australian Open Matches