International BNL Tennis Tournament in Rome

The ATP International World Masters and WTA tennis tours come to Rome every spring. This year, the men’s tournament begins April 27th and ends May 3rd, followed immediately by the women’s tournament from May 3rd to 9th.

The matches take place on the clay courts at Foro Italico, near the Olympic Stadium (Stadio Olimpico). During the week, the day session begins at 13.30 and goes on until 19.30, with a few matches taking place simultaneously. The matches start again at 20.30 for the evening session. Once you pay for a single “Ground” ticket (20 euros), you can wander around the various courts for the day, taking in several different matches.

The “Ground” ticket does not allow access to the central court, where many of the major games take place. However, there is something to be said for the more intimate environment on the lower courts and the opportunity to discover new talent. If you’re interested in seeing the more famous players (from Federer and Nadal to the Williams sisters and Safina) in the central court, expect to pay up to 100 euros. The price also increases for higher visibility seating.

If you’re planning on attending an entire week-long tournament it’s worth looking into the various abbonamento (weekly pass) options. As you would expect, the finals and semi-finals towards the end of the week are more expensive, but you’re guaranteed to see some first-class tennis. The women’s tournament begins the day of the men’s final.

For those planning to make a day of the tournament, there are plenty of tennis-related activities on the premises to keep children (and adults!) occupied, ranging from beach tennis to Nintendo Wii Mario tennis tournaments. These are open to the public at a small fee.

Additionally, there are a number of bars and restaurants. Among those, there are a few  upscale cocktail bars as well as some no-frills (but not necessarily cheap) family-style pizza places. It is advisable to bring your own bottled water, and even food. The tournament is sponsored by Ferrarelle water, which means it is available to buy anywhere, but as is the case at most events of this kind, they can charge extortionate amounts for basic products.

The Foro Italico is a sports complex built by Mussolini in the model of the ancient Roman forums. During the tournament, there are about five different courts, each with stadium seating, in use at any given time. The forum is a pleasant setting, with the luscious green trees behind the stadium making a pleasant backdrop. It is easily reachable from the center of Rome by taking the A line metro to the Ottaviano-San Pietro stop and then taking the 32 bus for seven stops (you will know where you are because there will be a mass exodus at the Foro Italico) or, from Lungotevere De’ Cenci (just across the bridge from Trastevere), take the 280 bus for 22 stops.