This week we had Swiatek playing Osaka on French Open main court. An absolutely electrifying match at a Grand Slam. It's raining hard outside so no other tennis to watch and yet the stadium is less than half-full. So where are all the spectators? While thousands of people in grounds look up at the big screen while waiting for the rain to stop desperate to see some live tennis the corporate elite are sitting in hospitality, doing business deals, updating instagram, and paying no heed to the drama unfolding.
The inequality starts before even entering grounds. While the great unwashed queue round the block for the one gate opened for us, the other half bypass this too by breezing past us as they are fast tracked through.
In a couple of weeks I will be going to Eastbourne, a tournament steeped in history on the WTA side. Centre court will be packed all week as its built up a very knowledgeable and passionate crowd over the years. Obviously its not making enough money (despite £75 tickets all week), so lets downgrade it. The same with Nottingham which is in a similar position which is being scrapped all together. All so we can hold a Ladies event in Queens. Probably the most corporate venue I have ever been to. You will see swathes of empty seats next year just as you do on the mens side here. It's a terrible look for the sport but who cares as long as they can sell the seat to the highest bidder.
I had to chuckle at David Law bemoaning the lack of people for the Swiatek match. This from a guy who hosts the once good Tennis Podcast which has as its main advertiser a company selling prestige travel tours for the elite (around £5K for US Open if you are interested). They also get subscribers to donate to the show which they use to travel round the world attending all the best tournaments.
This obviously is not just a tennis problem (football is starting to go the same way). Be interesting to see if the stadiums are packed for the Olympics in Paris (I'm sure they wont be).
So do we have to just accept its supply and demand, or should there be a cap on number of corporate seats at events? Is there a way to fill those empty seats?
(NB the court for Gracheva's match yesterday was absolutely deserted - now I know this is not the same calibre of match but she's French, and they're are very few French players left, I'm sure you could have filled the court twice over if she'd just opened the gates and said 'first come, first served')
I also note how Mauresmo has announced that acohol consumption will now be banned inside the stands
And yet I am pretty confident that this will not apply to corporate seats, or any sponor areas or whatever
I remember when I visited the Madrid Open many years ago, the amount of corporate court side boxes on the Centre Court was ridiculous and many of them were empty. That's why I much preferred the atmosphere on the smaller show courts which didn't have that problem.
It can be similar at some of the smaller events - at the Ilkley finals a few years ago, at the start of the mens final one stand was deserted pretty much for most of the first set, whilst the hospitality crowd finished their bon vivant or whatever
As you say seagull, a WTA event at Eastbourne can be packed out, sold to TV, and yet is not making money (or enough money?) The corporates are needed financially, it would be nice if they had the courtesy to watch the tennis of course.
