Queen's Club Championships Explained

Queen's Club Championships
Editions:	124 (2023)
City:	London
Country:	United Kingdom
Venue:	The Queen's Club
Category:	Grand Prix tennis circuit (1970–1989) ATP World Series / ATP International Series / ATP World Tour 250 series (1990–2014) ATP World Tour 500 series (2015–)
Surface:	Grass / outdoors
Draw:	32S / 32Q / 24D
Prize Money:	€2,195,175 (2023)
Completed Event:	2024
Men's Singles:	Tommy Paul
Men's Doubles:	Neal Skupski Michael Venus

The Queen's Club Championships is an annual tournament for men's tennis, held on grass courts at the Queen's Club in West Kensington, London. The event is part of the ATP Tour 500 series on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour. It is currently advertised as the "cinch Championships" after its title sponsor.

Queen's is one of the oldest tennis tournaments in the world, and serves as a warm-up for Wimbledon. Andy Murray has won a record five titles between 2009 and 2016.

History

Originally known as the London Athletic Club Tournament or officially London Athletic Club Open Tournament established in 1881 at Stamford Bridge, Fulham. In 1885 the tournament was given the title of the Championship of London then later London Championships, and it was held on outdoor grass courts.^[1] In 1890, the tournament moved to its current location, the Queen's Club and consisted of a men's and women's singles event. In 1903 a men's doubles event was added followed in 1905 by the mixed doubles competition. In 1915 the addition of a women's doubles event completed the programme. The two World Wars interrupted the tournament from 1913 to 1918 and 1940–1946. Between 1970 and 1989 the Championships were part of the Grand Prix tennis circuit. The women's tournament was discontinued after the 1973 edition and from 1974 until 1976 no men's tournament was held.^[2] and by this point the tournament was known as the London Grass Court Championships. From 1977 it's been called the Queens Club Championships. The event is currently an ATP Tour 500 series tournament on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour and was upgraded from an ATP World Tour 250 series in 2015.^{[3] [4]} The tournament was voted ATP Tournament of the Year for four years consecutively between 2013 and 2014 when it was an ATP 250 tournament and between 2015 and 2016 when it was an ATP 500 tournament. It then won it again in 2018 and 2019.

During the 2004 singles tournament, Andy Roddick set the then world record for the fastest serve, recorded at 153 mph (246.2 km/h) during a straight-set victory over Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan in the quarter-finals.^[5]

In 2016, Andy Murray won the singles title for a record fifth time. Seven men have won four singles titles; Major Ritchie, Anthony Wilding, Roy Emerson, John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick.

Schedule

The Queen's Club Championships are held every year in June. They start one week after the clay-court French Open and conclude one week before the start of the grass court Wimbledon Championships, which are held just 4miles away. The equivalent warm-up event for women is the Eastbourne International, although this is held one week later.

Up to 2014, the break between the French Open and Wimbledon was just two weeks, and the Queen's Club Championships started the day after the French Open's men's final. This changed when Wimbledon moved back a week to expand the length of the grass court season.^[6]

Grass courts are the least common playing surface for top-level events on the ATP World Tour. The 2009 schedule included only four grass court tournaments in the run-up to Wimbledon. They were the Queen's Club Championships, Gerry Weber Open, Eastbourne International, and the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships. An additional tournament is played on grass in Newport, Rhode Island, USA, in the week immediately after Wimbledon.

Coverage

The BBC has covered the tournament since 1979 and in recent years it has shown the tournament in full after originally only broadcasting the final four days of the event. The BBC has a contract in place until 2024.^[7] It broadcasts the event mainly on BBC Two as well as on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sport online. It was shown in High Definition for the first time in 2009.

Since 2018, Amazon Prime^[8] has also broadcast from The Queen's Club in the UK.

The ball girls for the Aegon Championships are provided by Nonsuch High School and St Philomena's Catholic High School for Girls, two schools in the London Borough of Sutton.^[9]

Sponsorship

From 1979 until 2008, the tournament was sponsored by Stella Artois, and thus called the Stella Artois Championships.^[10] In 2009 the tournament was renamed the Aegon Championships following a comprehensive sponsorship deal between Lawn Tennis Association and Aegon, which also led to renaming of Birmingham and Eastbourne grass court events.^[11] In 2018, Fever-Tree began sponsoring the tournament. The online car selling website cinch became the title sponsor of the championships in 2021.^[12]

Past finals

Men's singles

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1881	Frederick. L. Rawson	George S. Murray-Hill	6–1, 4–6, 6–2, 6–3
1882	Herbert Lawford	Otway E. Woodhouse	6–1, 4–6, 6–2, 6–3
1883	Herbert Lawford	Edward Lake Williams	6–2, 6–1, 6–0
1884	Herbert Lawford	Frederick A. Bowlby	6–3, 6–1, 3–6, 6–2
1885	Charles H. A. Ross	Ernest Wool Lewis	3–6, 8–6, 1–6, 6–2, 6–3
1886	Ernest Wool Lewis	Harry Grove	6–4, 10–8, 6–4
1887	Ernest Wool Lewis	Harry S. Barlow	6–2, 8–6, 6–4
1888	Ernest Wool Lewis	Harry S. Barlow	6–0, 6–1, 6–2
1889	Harry S. Barlow	Charles Gladstone Eames	5–7, 7–5, 3–6, 6–1, 7–5
1890			3–6, 6–8, 6–1, 6–2, 6–2
1891			6–4, 2–6, 6–0, 7–5
1892			6–4, 6–4, 3–6, 4–6, 6–1
1893			1–6, 6–1, 6–8, 6–3
1894			6–2, 6–3, 6–3
1895			6–4, 7–5, 5–7, 5–7, 10–8
1896			11–9, 6–4, 6–4
1897			6–2, 6–2, 6–2
1898			6–3, 6–4, 9–7
1899			8–10, 6–2, 7–5, 6–1
1900		Arthur W. Lavy	6–0, 6–2, 6–3
1901			6–1, 6–0, 4–6, 6–4
1902		Charles Simond	6–3, 6–4, 6–0
1903		Charles Simond	6–1, 6–4, 7–9, 5–7, 6–4
1904			6–3, 6–1, 6–1
1905			walkover
1906			6–0, 6–1, 7–5
1907			6–2, 6–1, 6–0
1908	Kenneth Powell		6–4, 3–3 retired
1909			11–13, 6–4 6–1, 6–0
1910			6–4, 6–3, 2–0 retired
1911			7–5, 6–2, 6–3
1912			walkover
1913			7–5, 6–4, 4–6, 4–6, 6–4
1914			6–2, 7–5, 6–4
1915–1918	Not held (due to World War I)
1919			6–4, 6–0, 2–6, 7–5
1920			4–6, 6–2, 6–4
1921			6–2, 6–0
1922		Donald Greig	6–8, 6–2, 6–2, 6–1
1923			6–2, 6–2
1924			3–6, 8–6, 6–3, 6–2
1925			6–2, 9–7
1926			6–3, 6–2
1927		D.M. Evans	6–3, 6–3
1928			6–3, 6–2, 6–1
1930			6–4, 8–6
1931			3–6, 6–4, 6–2
1932			1–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–4
1934			6–4, 6–3
1936		David Jones	6–4, 6–3
1937			6–1, 6–2
1938			6–2, 6–0
1939			6–1, 6–3
1940–1945	Not held (due to World War II)
1946			6–4, 7–5
1947			6–4, 7–5
1949			8–6, 6–0
1950			6–2, 6–4
1951			6–4 5–7 6–2
1952			10–8, 6–2
1953			8–6, 10–8
1954			8–6, 6–4
1955			6–2, 6–3
1956			7–5, 3–6, 9–7
1957			6–8, 6–2, 6–3
1958			1–6, 11–9, 6–3
1959			6–3, 6–0
1960			8–6,6–3
1961			6–2 6–3
1962			6–4 7–5
1963			6–1 6–2
1964			12–10, 6–4
1965			walkover
1966			walkover
1967			7–5, 6–3
↓  Open era  ↓
			6–3, 22–20
↓  Grand Prix circuit  ↓
			6–4, 6–3
			8–6, 6–3
			6–2, 6–3
			10–8, 6–3
1974–1976	Not held
			9–7, 7–5
			8–6, 9–7
			6–7, 6–1, 6–1
			6–3, 6–1
			7–6, 7–5
			7–5, 6–3
			6–3, 6–3
			6–1, 3–6, 6–2
			6–2, 6–3
			6–4, 2–1 (retired)
			6–7, 6–3, 6–4
			6–1, 3–6, 6–3
			4–6, 6–3, 6–4
↓  ATP Tour 250  ↓
			6–3, 6–2
			6–2, 6–3
			6–3, 6–4
			6–3, 6–4
			7–6^(7–4), 7–6^(7–4)
			7–6^(7–3), 7–6^(8–6)
			6–4, 7–6^(7–3)
			7–5, 6–3
			7–6^(7–5), 6–4
			6–7^(1–7), 6–4, 7–6^(7–4)
			6–4, 6–4
			7–6^(7–3), 7–6^(7–3)
			4–6, 6–1, 6–4
			6–3, 6–3
			7–6^(7–4), 6–4
			7–6^(9–7), 7–6^(7–4)
			6–4, 6–4
			4–6, 7–6^(9–7), 7–6^(7–2)
2008			7–6^(8–6), 7–5
			7–5, 6–4
			7–6^(7–3), 7–5
			3–6, 7–6^(7–2), 6–4
			6–7^(3–7), 4–3 default
			5–7, 7–5, 6–3
↓  ATP Tour 500  ↓
			6–3, 6–4
			6–7^(5–7), 6–4, 6–3
			4–6, 7–6^(7–2), 7–6^(10–8)
			5–7, 7–6^(7–4), 6–3
			6–2, 6–7^(4–7), 7–6^(7–2)
2020	Not held due to the coronavirus pandemic
			6–4, 6–7^(5–7), 6–3
			7–5, 6–4
			6–4, 6–4
			6–1, 7–6^(10–8)

Women's singles

Fulham

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1881	M. Raikes	Miss Burleigh	5-0 5-2
1882–1883
1884			6-4 6-2 2-6 6-1
1885		Lilian Watson	6-2 6-3
1886		Edith Davies	6-1 6-1
1887		B. James	6-4 6-3
1888	Blanche Bingley Hillyard		6-4 6-3
1889			6-2 6-1

London

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1890			6–2, 6–1
1891			6–2, 4–6, 6–3
1892			6–2, 6–3
1893			6–2, 6–1
1894			8–6, 11–9
1895			6–2, 7–5
1896		Agatha Templeman
1897			2–6, 6–2, 6–2
1898			6–4, 3–6, 8–6
1899			12–10, 2–6, 9–
1900
1901			6–1, 6–1
1902
1903
1904		Ellen Stawell-Brown
1905
1906
1907			2–6, 6–3, 6–4
1908			6–3, 6–2
1909	Aurea Edgington
1910
1911
1912			6–1, 6–0
1913		Aurea Edgington
1914		Beryl Tulloch
1915–1918	Not held (due to World War I)
1919			6–4, 8–6
1920			w.o.
1921	Mabel Clayton
1922	Mabel Clayton	W. Keays
1923			6–2, 1–6, 6–2
1924		Doris Covell Craddock
1925			6–0, 6–1
1926	Dorothy Kemmis-Betty		7–5, 6–2
1927	Dorothy Kemmis-Betty	Enid Head Broadbridge	6–0, 6–1
1928			4–6, 6–1, 6–0
1929			6–2, 2–6, 6–2
1930	Madge List		6–1, 6–3
1931			9–7, 6–4
1932			1–6, 7–5, 6–4
1933			title shared
1934	Jacqueline Goldschmidt		5–7, 6–2, 6–0
1935			title shared
1936			6–2, 6–4
1937			6–3, 6–0
1938			6–3, 6–0
1939			6–1, 6–4
1940–1945	Not held (due to World War II)
1946			6–8, 6–3, 6–3
1947			6–4, 6–0
1948			title shared
1949			3–6, 6–1, 6–3
1950			4–6, 6–4, 6–4
1951			6–3, 8–6
1952			7–5, 6–1
1953			6–1, 4–6, 6–2
1954			6–1, 6–4
1955			6–3, 6–1
1956			6–4, 6–0
1957			6–1, 5–7, 6–3
1958			6–4, 5–7, 8–6
1959			2–6, 6–1, 6–3
1960			6–4, 6–3
1961			6–0, 4–6, 6–2
1962			7–5, 7–5
1963			6–3, 6–3
1964			6–3, 6–2
1965			6–3, 4–6, 6–4
1966			4–6, 6–3, 7–5
1967			2–6, 6–2, 6–4
1968			title shared
1969			6–0, 6–1
1970			2–6, 8–6, 6–2
1971			6–3, 3–6, 6–3
1972			6–4, 6–0
1973			6–2, 6–3

Men's doubles

Since 1969:

(Note: Tournament dates back to 1890)

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
1969			8–6, 6–3
↓  Grand Prix circuit  ↓
1970			6–4, 6–4
			8–6, 4–6, 10–8
			4–6, 6–3, 7–5
			6–4, 7–5
1974–1976	Not held
			6–1, 6–2
			6–2, 7–5
			6–4, 6–4
			6–2, 4–6, 11–9
			3–6, 7–6, 11–9
			7–6, 7–5
			6–4, 6–3
			6–4, 6–3
			3–6, 6–3, 16–14
			6–2, 7–6
			6–4, 6–4
			6–2, 7–6
			7–6, 6–3
↓  ATP Tour 250  ↓
			6–2, 7–6
			6–4, 7–6
			6–4, 7–6
			6–7, 6–3, 6–4
			3–6, 7–6, 6–4
			7–6, 6–4
			6–3, 7–6
			6–2, 4–6, 7–5
			title shared (rainout)
			6–3, 7–6^(7–3)
			6–7^(5–7), 6–3, 7–6^(7–1)
			6–3, 3–6, 6–1
			7–5, 6–3
			5–7, 6–4, 7–6^(7–3)
			6–4, 6–4
			7–6^(11–9), 7–6^(7–4)
			6–4, 3–6, [10–8]
			7–6^(7–4), 7–5
			6–4, 7–6^(7–3)
			6–4, 4–6, [10–6]
			6–7^(6–8), 6–2, [10–3]
			6–7^(2–7), 7–6^(7–4), [10–6]
			6–3, 6–4
			4–6, 7–5, [10–3]
			4–6, 7–6^(7–4), [10–4]
↓  ATP Tour 500  ↓
			6–2, 6–2
			6–3, 7–6^(7–5)
			6–2, 6–3
			6–4, 6–3
				7–6^(8–6), 5–7, [10–5]
2020	Not held (due to the COVID-19 pandemic)
				6–4, 7–5
				3–6, 7–6^(7–3), [10–6]
				6–4, 6–7^(5–7), [10–3]
				4–6, 7–6^(7–5), [10–8]

Women's doubles

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score
			6–2, 8–6
			5–7, 6–0, 6–2
			4–6, 6–3, 7–5

Junior championship finals

Year	Champion	Runner-up
The Junior Championship
		Gastão Elias
2006	Iain Atkinson	Nicolas Santos
2003		Chris Guccione
2002		Dudi Sela
The HSBC Junior Invitation Cup
2001		Andrew Banks
The David Lloyd Leisure Cup
2000		Arnaud Segodo
1999		Lee Childs
1998		Cheng Wei-jen
The Sam Whitbread Cup
1997		Xavier Malisse
1996		Arvind Parmar
1995		Jamie Delgado
1994		Nicolás Lapentti
1993		David Škoch
1992		Lucas Arnold
1991		Nicolas Kischkewitz
1990		Dirk Dier

Statistics

Champions by country

Men's singles

Country	Winner	First title	Last title
	34	1905	2024
	31	1890	2016
	26	1919	2006
	6	1939	1996
	5	1960	2023
	4	1907	1912
	2	1951	1992
	2	1989	1990
	2	2012	2018
	2	2021	2022
	1	1921	1921
	1	1927	1927
	1	1959	1959
	1	1973	1973
	1	1977	1977
	1	1991	1991
	1	2014	2014

Men's doubles

Country	Winner	First title	Last title
	33	1969	2023
	23	1969	2006
	9	1986	2021
	5	1999	2012
	4	1992	1998
	4	1990	2024
	3	1970	1973
	3	1978	2009
	3	2002	2006
	3	2022	2023
	2	1977	1977
	2	2003	2007
	2	2008	2010
	2	2014	2017
	1	2009	2009
	1	2010	2010
	1	2012	2012
	1	2014	2014
	1	2019	2019
	1	2024	2024

Players and winners

• Most titles – Andy Murray (6) (5 singles, 1 doubles)
• Most Singles titles – Andy Murray (5).
• Most Singles finals – Major Ritchie (8).
• Youngest winner – Boris Becker, 17 years 207 days in 1985.
• Oldest winner – Major Ritchie, 38 years old in 1909 (Open era oldest winner was Feliciano López at 37 years old in 2019)
• Lowest-ranked champion – Feliciano López, ranked 113 in the world in 2019.
• Lowest-ranked finalist – Laurence Tieleman, ranked 253 in the world in 1998.
• Winners of both events – Pete Sampras in 1995 (doubles with Todd Martin), Mark Philippoussis in 1997 (doubles with Patrick Rafter), and Feliciano López in 2019 (doubles with Andy Murray).
• Most prize money received – Andy Murray €1,064,565 + $15,275 (£850,007 at 19/06/16 exchange rates)
• 22 of the last 25 Wimbledon champions have played at the Queen's Club Championships.
• 10 players have completed the Queen's/Wimbledon double, winning both events back to back, including Don Budge, Roy Emerson, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, Pete Sampras, Lleyton Hewitt, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Carlos Alcaraz; only McEnroe, Sampras and Murray have completed this twice.

Attendance

Pre-2017 the Centre Court held 6,479 spectators. From 2017 onwards, capacity increased by over 2,000 to almost 9,000 seats. The highest total attendance for the week was in 2003, when 52,553 people attended the event; The highest attendance for one day was 8,362 on 11 June 2003.

See also

• British Covered Court Championships – indoor tournament played at the Queen's Club between 1895 and 1971

External links

• Official tournament website
• The Queen's Club website
• ATP tournament profile
• LTA tournament profile

51.488°N -0.212°W

Notes and References

1. http://www.tennisarchives.com/wedstrijdfiche.php?wedstrijdid=96 Queens Club tournament
2. News: $63, 260 Curtain-Raiser to Wimbledon . The Sydney Morning Herald . 12 April 1974 . 12.
3. Web site: ATP Announces 2015 ATP World Tour Calendar . ATP . 10 February 2014.
4. Web site: Tennis stretches grass season to six weeks . SBS . 11 February 2014.
5. Web site: Ivo Karlovic sets new world record for fastest serve . BBC . 6 March 2011.
6. Web site: ATP to boost total prize money, add time between Roland Garros and Wimbledon . . 8 November 2013 . tennis.com . AP . 13 June 2015.
7. Web site: BBC to Broadcast Queen's until 2024 – Media Centre . BBC . 12 December 2017.
8. News: ATP And ATP Media Expand Partnership With Amazon Prime Video . ATP World Tour . 2018-03-26.
9. http://www.lta.org.uk/fans-major-events/LTA-summer-grass-court-events/AEGON-Championships/News/Features-2012/Behind-the-Scenes-with-the-Ball-Girls-at-The-Queens-Club/ LTA – Aegon Championships – Behind the Scenes with the Ball Girls at The Queen's Club
10. News: Stella Artois ends 30-year tennis sponsorship . PRWeek . 17 March 2008 . 29 February 2012.
11. News: James . Olley . New Queen's Club sponsor set for a £30m revolution . 5 June 2009 . London Evening Standard . 15 September 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100330054117/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/article-23704113-new-queens-club-sponsor-set-for-a-30m-revolution.do . 30 March 2010 . dmy-all.
12. News: cinch to become new title sponsor of the LTA's Queen's Club Championships . 13 January 2021 . LTA . 23 December 2020.