Rothsay Open Tennis in Nottingham

In Brief.

Wimbledon, the world's premier grass court tournament, takes place in late June and early July, ahead of which are several other grass court tournaments in the UK. One of these is in Nottingham, which tends to feature several top-10 players and many of the top British players. There is a centre court for matches with highly ranked players (and the finals), and a collection of other courts with different numbers of seats (from very few to quite significant stands). Supported by numerous eateries, this is an easy way to observe some good quality tennis.  Tickets can be booked well ahead, but I obtained tickets on Sunday for entry on Monday; later days book up sooner.


Rothesay Open Displays

What's Here?

The Rothsay Open Tennis tournament takes place at the impressive Nottingham Tennis Center, which was hosting lots of coaching activities for young people as well as the tournament when I arrived.  This is the first professional tennis tournament I have attended, and it seemed quite a civilised affair, with lots of space and facilities for the attendees ... though it may be busier later in the week.

Close to a gap in the action on center court.

I booked a center court ticket for the first day of the tournament (Monday), as I wanted a guaranteed seat after the long drive down.  This gave all-day access to a ringside seat in the baking sun (I was hit by one ball, though it bounced directly off my foot and back onto the court).  Doing a day trip, in the end I watched two matches on the centre court, and dipped into some on other courts.  While it was in some ways good to have a guaranteed seat, you don't know in advance who will be playing.  On the Monday a ground pass would have been fine, as there were lots of other matches taking place, and seats available in the assorted stands.

When making a day of it, there are opportunities to slip off for refreshments, and I had both a sandwich lunch and afternoon coffee and cake in a large marquee, which was the coolest space I could find. Audience members tend to come and go, and even though most seats were sold, the centre court wasn't especially full most of the time.  At most courts it is easy to get quite close to the action, and many matches are taking place in front of small audiences, as players try to stay in the tournament long enough to make it to centre court for a bigger crowd.

Even closer to the action on the outer courts.


Practicalities.

Distance from Manchester Town Hall: 85 miles

Drive Time: 2 hours 25 minutes

Price: $$$. Tickets can either be to the grounds (in which case you can't access the centre court, but you can look for a seat in stands around several courts or stand beside others) or for the centre court (in which case you have a seat booked for the day).  

Parking: Can be purchased with the ticket for the tennis.

Food and Drink: There are a variety of eateries; stalls serving outdoor seating spaces and a marquee that includes a cafe and a bar.

Retail Therapy: There are several retail outlets, often involving sponsors.  For example, Lexus had some cars on show, though probably not for sale!

Child Friendly: No child-specific activities, so basically watch the tennis. I would have been fine doing that as a child!

Toilets: Yes.

Do it justice in: On all day - stay as long as you can from 11am.

Inside-Outside: 10:90.



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