Melbourne to debut on-court seating for spectators

Have you ever dreamed of watching the world’s best tennis players up close and personal? Not front row, but really, really up close? For the first time at a Grand Slam tournament, the Australian Open is providing on-court seating in Rod Laver Arena.

“Fans are invited to ride the highs and lows of world class sport,” reads the Australian Open’s promotional blurb on its hospitality page, which calls sitting on the court an “ultimate, adrenaline-charged vantage point.”

There will be 16 total on-court seats available, with other amenities included in the package. Patrons will have food and beverages served in a private room that they can access during the match.

Opportunities for fans to sit on a court or field of play is rare in professional sports. The National Basketball Association is the only major sports league in the United States that provides such seating.

"There are a lot of dynamic things happening in other sports,” Tennis Australia's commercial director Richard Heaselgrave told the *Australian Financial Review*. “You're going where no one's gone before with these seats."

Prices will vary depending on who is playing, and Heaselgrave didn't reveal the price, just saying the four-figure cost is "quite a lot of money."

The Australian Open kicks off the Grand Slam season on January 16, when world No. 1 Angelique Kerber and world No. 2 Novak Djokovic will start their title defenses.