How much should a family invest in food and tickets for the semifinals?

He ATP 250 of Buenos Aires enters the definition stage and the proposal could not be more tempting for the tennis fans who will populate the stands of the Guillermo Vilas stadium this weekend. There will be two Argentines (Federico Coria and Facundo Díaz Acosta) in the semifinals and a Spaniard that the public has already adopted as its own due to his hierarchy and charisma, the youngest number one in history and winner of two Grand Slams. Carlos Alcaraz. Ideal.

In any case, there is one factor that cannot be left out of consideration when planning a visit to the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis and it is the economic one. How much would a typical family (a couple and two children) spend to spend the afternoon and evening in the cathedral of Argentine tennis and see some of the best tennis players in the world? Approximately $250,000 is estimated. taking as a reference the cheapest ticket and adding the extra of food and drink and even some dessert or coffee.

A seat in the general stalls, the new tubular grandstand that was installed above the east stalls and which brought the total capacity of the venue to almost 6,000 people, worth $52,000 to see the two semifinals and the same price for Sunday’s final. Meanwhile, the value scales in other sectors of the stadium up to $90,000 (stalls), $105,000 (elbows), $135,000 (side boxes), $170,000 (south and north boxes) and $275,000 (low side box).

To that must be added dinner, especially on Saturday because two games will be played and the day will likely extend into the night. There is a food court next to the main entrancealready known by those who visited the BALTC in previous years, and another behind court 2 that was added for this edition and that is still being conditioned.

Both have different stands gastronomic, all at a similar price. It costs around $4,000 for food, $2,000 for drinks, between $2,000 and $3,000 for ice cream popsicles, and $1,000 for coffee. “It’s cheap to eat here with the prices you see outside, but what is expensive are the tickets,” the majority of visitors consulted by Clarion.

In any case, they assure that it is worth it because it is “once a year” and because “It’s Alcaraz.” The Spaniard, who will seek to become only the third tennis player to retain the Argentina Open crown after Guillermo Vilas (he won six of his eight titles between 1973 and 1977) and David Ferrer (2012, 2013 and 2014), generates a revolution in each city it visits and Buenos Aires is no exception.

“Last year I came because I didn’t have any matches, I hadn’t competed for a while and I needed to play. I loved the tournament, the people are wonderful and what I experienced was incredible for me. “I wanted to return this year because the vibrations and energy in Buenos Aires are very special.”said the world number two in advance of his debut against Camilo Ugo Carabelli.

The facilities of the legendary Buenos Aires club have been remodeled and continue on that path, precisely to attract figures of the stature of Alcaraz. Legends of all times passed through there, such as himself. Vilas, Rod Laver, Ivan Lendl and Rafael Nadal and it is expected that Carlitos’ presence will attract other stars of the circuit to join.

A little due to the requirement of the ATP and a little due to the organizers’ own decision, one of the major renovations is precisely that of the changing rooms and the players’ room, which was made from scratch. And the tennis players value it.

“This year I see the tournament as being an ATP 500. The court is very good, the organization is very good. It is wonderful. If this tournament becomes a 500, I wouldn’t be surprised at all,” Alcaraz himself said at a press conference.

And Cameron Norrie was along the same lines. “I agree with Alcaraz. Due to the facilities, the organization and the atmosphere, the Argentina Open should be an ATP 500. The atmosphere of the match between Wawrinka and Jarry was incredible,” said the Briton.