Eye-watering ticket prices for Indian Wells finals revealed – and they are selling out
Tennis fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the Indian Wells Masters finals will need to have deep pockets, with tickets for the decisive matches in the Californian desert on sale for huge sums.
Tickets prices for major sporting events have risen dramatically over the last few years, yet the eye-watering sums for tickets to watch the men’s and women’s finals at the BNP Paribas Open highlight the scale of that inflation.
Tickets in block 116, the lower tier section on the main show court in Indian Wells, are on sale for a wallet-emptying $5000, with most tickets sold out for finals weekend.
Several more sections of the stadium are on sale for over $1500, with only a few sections offering tickets for less than a four-figure sum.
Tickets at the back of the area are priced at over $300, with the lack of seats available to buy confirming tennis fans wanting to experience the Indian Wells final are willing to pay these big prices.
This contrasts the prices to buy tickets at this summer’s Wimbledon Championships, with seats on Centre Court for the opening few days at the All England Club on sale for less than $100.
Tickets for the men’s singles final at Wimbledon this year are priced at £275, which is around $353.00.
Ticket prices in Indian Wells are a little less hefty in the early phases of the tournament and organisers highlighted their eagerness to look after their customers when they offered refunds to spectators who had bought tickets to watch Rafael Nadal’s comeback to the tournament.
Indian Wells tournament director Tommy Haas has expressed his disappointment on behalf of the tournament after Nadal announced his late withdrawal due to fitness issues.
Nadal was set to face 2016 Wimbledon runner-up Milos Raonic in the opening round in Indian Wells on Thursday, but he pulled out the day before he was due to play.
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“It is with great sadness that I have to withdraw from this amazing tournament. Everyone knows how much I love this place and how much I love to play here at Indian Wells,” the Spaniard said in a statement.
“That’s also one of the reasons why I came very early to the desert to practice and try to get ready. I have been working hard and practicing and you all know I took a test this weekend but I don’t find myself ready to play at the highest level at such an important event.
“It is not an easy decision, it’s a tough one as a matter of fact but I can’t lie to myself and lie to the thousands of fans. I will miss you all and I am sure the tournament will be a great success.”
The tournament announced that fans who purchased individual evening session tickets to Stadium 1 for Thursday — when Nadal’s match was due to take place — would be eligible for a refund.
In a statement shared on the tournament’s website, Haas said: “We are disappointed that Rafa is unable to play in the BNP Paribas Open, but we wish him continued healing and hope he can be back in action again soon.
“He is one of the all-time fan favourites here, and we hope to see him back in Indian Wells again in the future.”
Nadal may have played his final match at Indian Wells, yet the exit of some of the game’s all-time greats does not appear to be impacting the interest of American tennis fans as packed out crowds are lapping up the drama every day in what is a perfect tennis setting.