So you have $20,000 and want to meet Roger Federer? There is still a problem

Got $20,000 to spare and want to meet tennis legend Roger Federer in Melbourne next weekend? Looks like it still won’t be enough.

That’s an eye-watering price tag to chat and shake hands with the 20-time Grand Slam singles champion at this year’s Australian Open, but anyone still looking to buy VIP tickets to see Federer next Saturday night on Ticketmaster was disappointed on Friday morning with a message telling potential customers: “We will contact you if new tickets become available. Join the waiting list.”

A meet and greet with Federer was one of them Two VIP options put on sale by Tennis Australia in December. A cheaper option ($2,500 per person) offers Q&A sessions with tennis greats, paired with cocktails and “premium” drinks.

But guests willing to shell out $20,000 will each get what has been sold as a “one-time opportunity” to meet Federer in his dressing room. The meeting, which you’d expect would at least include a selfie with the 44-year-old, will take place before he plays Andre Agassi, Pat Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt in what is being billed as a “battle of the world’s No. 1s” during the first-ever Australian Open opening ceremony.

The package also includes courtside seats for the match, a Piper-Hiedsieck champagne package and an “interactive omakase dining experience” — all available in other hospitality packages for the tournament, including the semifinals, where courtside tickets are $17,655 but do not include a chat with Federer.

Tickets for the opening ceremony were released on December 12, and the $20,000 package is the only ticket for the day that is currently not available for purchase by customers. Federer posted a video on his personal Instagram account that day announcing that he would be going to the tournament.

The prices – which are still not as high as some tickets to other Grand Slams – are a contributing factor to Tennis Australia’s strong financial results for 2024/25, with more than $600,000,000 raised for the first time.

In its annual report released last month, Tennis Australia reported revenue from operations and events of $671,098,000, which includes ticket sales along with broadcast deals and government partners. This was an increase of nearly $100 million over the previous year and accounts for 97 percent of TA’s total revenue from customer contracts.