Introduction
It’s a dream of tennis lovers to go to the actual court and watch a match of their favorite players. However, do you know that picking the wrong seat could ruin the experience?
That’s right – not all seats in a tennis stadium are the same. Some could give you the most whole-packaged experience, while others don’t. So, what are the best seats to watch a tennis match? Let’s discover the answer in our article.
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Top 3 Recommended Seats To Watch A Tennis Match
Actually, there is no such thing as the best seats to watch a tennis match. Everyone has their preferences on where to sit on a tennis court. However, below are the 3 best areas to enjoy your tennis match to the fullest:
Behind the baseline
Many people believe that the best place to watch a tennis match is behind the baseline, notably in the center position next to the center mark. In tennis, the baseline defines the field’s back borders.
The baseline of a regular tennis court usually spans 36ft along the edge part of the ground’s rectangular layout in the doubles field. In this playing mode, the baselines intersect the sidelines, which are both 78ft, to make this rectangular design.
However, things are a bit different in singles. Since people don’t utilize the doubles lanes in singles competition, the sides provide a narrower field with a 27ft baseline.
They claim that sitting behind the baseline allows them to have an excellent overview of the whole ground. Furthermore, you won’t have to shift your eyeballs or neck very much to track the ball from one side of the court to the other.
Moreover, leisure tennis players also prefer this position (in both famous tournaments or small club events) since it offers them the best angle of the players, which enables them to observe the movements and techniques of the players.
Besides the studying purpose, sitting behind the baseline also helps viewers visualize what it would be like to play on the field, put them in the players’ shoes, and better analyze their current tactics.
See this video for reference of watching a tennis match behind the baseline: WIMBLEDON | Nadal Behind The Baseline
On the sideline
However, for tournament competitors and elite players, most agree that sitting on the sideline is the best of the best.
For your information, the singles and doubles sidelines act as the tennis field’s side borders. Standardly, the sideline in solo matches is 13.5ft away from the middle of the ground and stretches from one baseline to another.
The reasons why pro players are so in love with this spot instead of the common choice “behind the baseline” are numerous. Yet, below are a few most common ones:
- It’s their most familiar spot: Watching from the sidelines is the most common viewpoint of famous players observing games. Indeed, in smaller events and collegiate games, there are usually a few bleachers on the sideline. Meanwhile, at larger stadiums, people tend to offer player’s lofts on the sideline.
- They can observe both sides of the net equally well: For pro players, nothing is better than having the full view of both players and analyzing their skills and tactics. This information could be super helpful for top players who usually compete with one another.
- They get a clearer sense of how powerful people deliver the ball, as well as its spins and direction. Even from a somewhat higher viewpoint, it’s simpler to assess such factors than from behind the baseline (unless you’re precisely at ground height).
- Because of viewpoint, the court is significantly less sloping downward and hence less distorted.
- The sideline benches are often the nearest spot to the players.
- Sitting across from the umpire’s seat provides a less obscured sight while down low and the ability to observe the players’ expressions during changeovers.
- This position gets us near the competitors, allowing us to cheer them on or monitor their actions and overhear their talks with the umpire.
In shaded areas
Sometimes, a tennis match could take your whole day sitting on the court, and in sunny months, it’s the wisest choice to spend time in shaded areas.
For Ashe Stadium: Its rooftop provides higher shade levels for many seats throughout the daytime.
The stadium’s southern and western seats receive the most cover, while the north offers the second-best protection from the sun. However, the Eastern portion has the greatest exposure (which you should avoid during daytime matches.
For the New Armstrong Stadium: Given a covering, the scenario is identical to Ashe’s. In a nutshell, the best areas for shelter are 1-8. The west-side portions (Chair Umpire section) receive the most shadow, and even if you aren’t in the shadow, the sunlight is now at your backside.
Rows K and above (roughly) get sheltered first (around 12:30 pm), then the sun travels down to protect all rows by 2:00 pm. The east-side portions receive minimal covering and remain exposed to direct sunlight for most of the day.
Rows T and above, on the other hand, get shaded the whole day. Southern portions (behind the server) receive greater shadow than Northern areas: Southern regions are virtually fully covered until approximately 1 pm, when the sun begins to loop around clockwise, causing areas 17-18 to lose sun shelter in the late afternoon.
For Grandstand Stadium: There is little cover, but the southern and western parts are preferable since the sun is behind you. Seats in the higher standard entry beneath the roof receive the most shelter, particularly those in the Southwestern corner.
Conclusion
By the end of this article, you now know how to find the best seats to watch a tennis match. Hopefully, our post has given you enough information and insights for easier decision-making.
Still, which spot is the best depends on many personal factors, including the experience you expect. Thus, give yourself a few tries and learn from the lessons. Good luck!
Further Reading
Live tennis match newbie: best seat location?
