Queen’s Club Hosts Women’s Tennis First Time in 52 Years

In a historic move, Queen's Club in London will host a top-tier women's tennis tournament for the first time in 52 years, marking a significant return since the last event in 1973. The new WTA 500 event, scheduled just before the men's ATP 500 HSBC Championships, features a stellar lineup including Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, Australian Open champion Madison Keys, and British hopefuls Emma Raducanu, Sonay Kartal, and Katie Boulter. Tournament director Laura Robson highlighted the challenge of integrating the women's event in the traditionally men's club, including taking over the women's dressing room for the first time, but overall enthusiasm remains high among players. The women's event follows the conclusion of Roland Garros and is played on pristine grass courts, providing players with ideal preparation for Wimbledon. The WTA tournament, with prize money of $1.415 million, reflects the Lawn Tennis Association's commitment to gender equality and the development of women’s tennis. Meanwhile, the men's Queen’s Club Championships will occur mid-June, with defending men’s singles champion Tommy Paul and notable doubles teams set to compete ahead of Wimbledon.