The smell of freshly cut rye grass, the crisp thwack of a yellow ball, and the unmistakable buzz of West Kensington—yes, the British grass-court tennis season is officially underway! While all roads eventually lead to SW19, the true purists know that the summer magic begins a few miles down the road at The Queen’s Club.
Now officially rebranded as the HSBC Championships, the historic tournament has transformed into a massive two-week festival of tennis, blending ATP powerhouses with a newly returned, star-studded WTA line-up. Whether you’re heading courtside with a Pimm’s in hand or watching the drama unfold from your sofa, we’ve rounded up 25 fascinating, quirky, and downright historic facts about Queen’s that every tennis fan needs to know.
The Origins & History
- The 1881 Debut: The tournament is older than the venue itself! It first started in 1881 as the London Athletic Club Tournament and was originally held at Stamford Bridge (now the famous home stadium of Chelsea Football Club).
- The Big Move: The tournament officially relocated to its current home, The Queen’s Club, in 1890.
- Royal Roots: The Queen’s Club opened its doors in 1887 and was named in honor of its first royal patron, Queen Victoria.
- Market Garden Transformation: Before becoming a pristine haven for tennis, the 11-acre site in West Kensington was used as market gardens and a cricket pitch.
- Olympic Pedigree: The Queen’s Club wasn’t just built for summer tennis tours—it was actually one of the main hosting venues for the 1908 London Olympic Games.
- The Title Upgrade: For decades, fans knew it by its sponsor names (like the Stella Artois Championships or Cinch Championships). However, in 2025, HSBC took over as the principal title partner, officially renaming it the HSBC Championships.
The Past Winners & Records
- The King of Queen’s: Britain’s Andy Murray holds the all-time record for the most men’s singles titles in the Open Era, lifting the trophy an incredible five times (2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016).
- Murray’s Secret Six: If you count doubles, Murray actually has six titles. In 2019, fresh off hip surgery, he won the doubles tournament alongside Spain’s Feliciano López.
- The Elite Four-Timer Club: Before Murray broke the record, seven legendary men held a joint record of four singles titles each: John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick, Roy Emerson, Anthony Wilding, and Major Ritchie.
- The Double-Champion Omen: Winning Queen’s is the ultimate green light for Wimbledon. Since 1979, an elite group of men have won both Queen’s and Wimbledon in the exact same summer: John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, Pete Sampras, Lleyton Hewitt, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray (twice), and Carlos Alcaraz.
- The Reigning King: Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz enters the current grass season as a heavy favorite and the defending champion, having won the men’s singles title in both 2023 and 2025.
- American Dominance: In the early 2000s, American powerhouse Andy Roddick absolutely dominated the slick grass courts, winning the tournament four times in a five-year span (2003, 2004, 2005, and 2007).
- López’s Solo Sweep: In 2019, Feliciano López achieved a rare and grueling modern feat by winning both the Singles and the Doubles titles (with Andy Murray) in the very same week.
The Women’s Return & Modern Era
- A Historic 2025 Shake-up: Up until recently, Queen’s was strictly a men’s ATP event in the modern era. But in 2025, a women’s WTA 500 event rejoined the schedule, turning the HSBC Championships into an epic, two-week grass-court festival.
- The 52-Year Gap: Before 2025, a women’s professional tournament hadn’t been staged on the Queen’s Club grass courts for over half a century (52 years).
- First Modern Queen: Germany’s Tatjana Maria made history in 2025 by defeating Amanda Anisimova to become the first modern WTA singles champion at Queen’s.
- The 2026 Icon Comeback: The biggest talking point of the current season is Serena Williams. At 44 years old, the 23-time Grand Slam champion has stunned the sporting world by launching a professional comeback right here at Queen’s, accepting a wild card to play in the doubles draw.
- Home Turf Heroes: The British crowd had a massive celebration last year when home favorites Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool stormed through the draw to win the 2025 Men’s Doubles title.
🎾 Fascinating Court & Ball Trivia
- Wimbledon’s Twin: The grass at Queen’s is 100% Perennial Ryegrass, kept exactly at a height of 8mm—the exact same specifications used at Wimbledon to ensure identical ball bounce and speed.
- The Ultimate Compliment: Legendary champion Andy Roddick once famously claimed that the grass courts at Queen’s Club are “the best tennis courts in the world.”
- Shared Title Drama: In 1998, a massive British summer rainout completely disrupted finals day. Instead of forcing a delayed match, the Men’s Doubles title was officially shared between the legendary Aussie duo (“The Woodies” – Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge) and the pairing of Jonas Björkman and Patrick Rafter.
- The “Almost” Walkover: In the pre-Open era (1905), the final wasn’t even played. American Holcombe Ward won the title via a “walkover” because his opponent and countryman, Beals Wright, had to withdraw.
- The Fast and Furious: Because the grass is fresh, slick, and unbruised at the start of the week, Queen’s historically favors massive, aggressive servers. Players like Goran Ivanišević and Milos Raonic have historically put up terrifying ace counts during the opening rounds.
- The Perfect Buffer: The tournament occupies a crucial spot in the tennis calendar. Located in West Kensington, it gives international players a chance to adjust to the unique, low-bouncing English grass and London weather just a few miles down the road from SW19.
From its modest Chelsea roots in 1881 to hosting a modern, two-week blockbuster that bridges tennis history with shocking contemporary comebacks, the HSBC Championships at Queen’s remains the crown jewel of the Wimbledon warm-ups. It is so much more than a dress rehearsal; it’s a tournament where legends are tested, and grass-court masters are born.
Are you backing Carlos Alcaraz to defend his crown, or is Emma Raducanu set to take the West Kensington crowd by storm? Grab your strawberries and cream, settle into your seat, and let the grass-court drama commence!
Which Queen’s Club fact surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments below