Got a spare $20,000 and want to meet tennis legend Roger Federer in Melbourne next weekend? It looks like it still won’t be enough.
That’s the eye-popping price tag for a chat and a handshake with the 20-time grand slam singles champion at this year’s Australian Open, but anyone still wanting to buy VIP tickets for next Saturday night’s Federer experience on Ticketmaster was left disappointed on Friday morning, with a message telling prospective customers: “We’ll contact you if new tickets are released. Join waiting list.”
He’ll wave for free, but to meet Roger Federer will cost you $20,000.Credit: AP
The meet-and-greet with Federer was one of two VIP options put on sale by Tennis Australia in December. The cheaper option ($2500 a person) offers seats to a Q&A with the tennis great, paired with cocktails and “premium” beverages.
But guests willing to fork out $20,000 each will get what has been sold as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to meet Federer in his dressing room. The meeting, which you’d assume would involve at least a selfie with the 44-year-old, will take place before he plays in a match with Andre Agassi, Pat Rafter, and Lleyton Hewitt, in what is billed as the “battle of the World No.1s” during the Australian Open’s first-ever opening ceremony.
That package also includes courtside seats for the match, a Piper-Hiedsieck champagne package, and an “interactive omakase dining experience” – all available in other hospitality packages for the tournament, including for the semi-final, where courtside tickets are priced at $17,655 but don’t include a chat with Federer.
Tickets for the opening ceremony were released on December 12, and the $20,000 package is the only ticket for that day customers cannot currently purchase. Federer posted a video on his personal Instagram account that day, announcing he’d be making the trip for the tournament.
The prices – which are still not as high as some tickets at other grand slams – are a contributing factor in Tennis Australia’s strong financial results for 2024/25, which saw more than $600,000,000 gained in revenue for the first time.
In its annual report published last month, Tennis Australia reported $671,098,000 in revenue from operations and events, which includes ticket sales along with broadcast deals and government partners. That was an increase of nearly $100 million from the previous year, and makes up 97 per cent of TA’s total revenue from contracts with customers.
