Rock Creek Tennis Center — Local services in Washington

We saw the men’s semis (Nishikori vs M. McDonald) and women’s final (Gauf vs Pegula) matches last night. There is is so little information anywhere about what to expect so I had to scour through reviews from Trip Advisor, Yelp, etc. from years past. Make sure to sign up for the Citi Open emails as it’ll tell you when gates open for your sessions and provide an estimated schedule on the day of your tickets. Go to Twitter for real time updates. Our tickets said 7 pm but the men’s match that evening actually started around 6:30 pm. We were lucky enough to get a parking space at a restaurant a block away that didn’t have a time limit/zone restrictions, etc. Beware that parking for all the nearby neighborhoods becomes restricted so you need a special permit to park. Parking Lot B, which is the lot that’s on the grounds is all grass, in case it’s raining on the day of your session. Getting through the ticket line and security was quick and easy. The bag checks were merely a formality and they don’t dig around in your bag at all. Your tickets say they must be printed but I saw plenty of people getting in with the one on their phones. If you have a Citi credit card, bring it with you. You get 10% off for all purchases using your Citi card, as well as access to the Citi lounge, which is air conditioned and has TVs showing the matches. Make sure you have your Citi card out as they’ll ask for it. Only one person in your group needs to show their Citi card. You’ll be given a blue wristband so you can re-enter as you please. Freebies in the Citi lounge are: radio earbud so you can listen to commentaries about the matches, all snacks, water, soda and Gatorade. The only thing you have to pay for in the Citi lounge is alcohol but you automatically get 10% off even if you don’t use a Citi card. There were two other large, covered tents that sold a little bit of food and alcohol. Lines can get long. My boyfriend paid $13 for a 24oz can of Miller Lite. On the opposite end (think it was called the Market Square) is a cafeteria where you can just grab food and pay. I got an Impossible burger, chicken sandwich and bottle of water for $40. My burger was cold and gross but my bf said his chicken sandwich was ok. Other food options in the cafeteria were pizzas, onion rings, chicken fingers/waffle fries combo and hotdogs. Also, there was an attendant in the ladies bathroom who took tips (European style). She wasn’t handing you soap, perfume, feminine products but she was keeping the bathroom clean. The women’s line was very long so just make sure to go during a match. No attendant in the men’s bathroom though.

As for the actual matches, there really isn’t a bad seat. We could only get tickets for the very last row of the nosebleed seats and even those weren’t bad. Figuring out your row was a bit tricky as the rows lettering wasn’t very clear. We were in Section 10 and halfway through the men’s match when two new ticket holders showed up, the guys below us figured out they weren’t even in the right section. I will have to say it takes awhile to focus on the match as we could hear all the noises outside of the court but maybe that’s because we were up so high. Also, there was a doubles match going on in the other court and we could hear everything the announcer said. Most of the seats on the second level were bleachers but the section behind the camera man were fold up chairs and so we’re all the seats on the first level, box seats. Some people brought cushions and even though we were on the bleachers, we didn’t think cushions were necessary. The staff was very nice and it was very quick and easy to get to our seats. All in all, a...

Went here for Citi Open. The event and everything inside was great - very friendly and helpful staff, good security, and clean facilities all over. We had a good time moseying around the stadium/courts, getting food and drinks, and hanging out with friends. It was a pretty chill atmosphere overall.

The only issue we had was with parking. The parking lots filled up very quickly, there were huge lines just to get in, and there were no signs or notices that the lot was full until we got to the front of the line and spoke to the workers individually. We ended up having to go 15 min down the road to another building's parking lot, but the event staff did have shuttle buses arranged to take ppl to and from the event, which was nice since parking in DC is a nightmare. I just wish there was a way to notify ppl beforehand ("lot full" on the marquee, signs in the road, info on website, etc.). Any kind of forewarning would've drastically shortened the parking line, as it was only long bc the staff had to go speak to every car...

Went during the first Saturday of Citi Open. My first time at the venue and the event. Didn't know what to expect. I should have read the website regarding parking before driving there. That's my biggest piece of advice is to figure out transportation in advance. Lots of people. Lots of food options. I was glad to see Taco Bamba there. Wish I knew I could bring my cold water bottle, but maybe if I read the website I would have known. The venue is very old and it shows. Can someone get a fundraiser for improvements? There was rust abound. Overall it was a nice event to go to and watch profressional tennis in-person. Since it's a Olympic year a lot of the big names weren't there. Tickets weren't too pricey depending on your seat location and earlier in the tournament. I'd go back next year...