The HSBC Championships at the Queen’s Club celebrate the return of women’s tennis

This June sees the HSBC Championships at the Queen’s Club return to the court for its annual celebration as one of the highlights of the British sporting summer, and the thrilling return of women’s tennis to the tournament for the first time in 52 years.

Beginning what is set to be a flagship year for the HSBC Championships, HSBC has kicked off its new four-year partnership with the LTA by hosting a pop-up event in London’s Trafalgar Square with a tennis court and the unveiling of the brand-new women’s trophy.

Attended by a host of familiar faces including inspiring young player Karla Ngakeu, the activation celebrated ambition both on and off the court and highlighted the Championships’ mission to increase visibility and accessibility of tennis, particularly the women’s game. The tournament begins on Monday 9^th June, and fans can still snap up tickets to attend the HSBC Championships themselves via the LTA website.

With women returning to Queen’s for the first time in over half a century, spectators can expect to see tennis stars including Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter and Naomi Osaka compete to secure an historic win and be crowned the first women’s champion since 1973. Hot on the women’s heels, the men’s tournament will then see Jack Draper and Carlos Alcaraz, amongst many others, taking to the court from 17^th June.

A pop-up event saw Londoners experience first-hand coaching sessions from tennis legend and coach, Judy Murray, demonstrating her top tips on the court. Passersby and fans, including a local Girlguiding group, also had an opportunity to step onto court to showcase their own shots like a tennis pro.

Drumroll please: New Women’s Trophy Unveiled

To mark the occasion, British tennis stars, LTA’s Chief Executive Scott Lloyd, and HSBC UK’s Head of Commercial Banking Stuart Tait unveiled the brand-new women’s trophy at London’s Trafalgar Square. They were joined by the last winner of the women’s competition in 1973 Olga Morozova and rising British star Karla Ngakeu.

The new trophy seen for the first time today boasts an elegant and graceful modern design that will soon no doubt become as iconic as the men’s trophy. The design also incorporates some traditional elements, such as a curved base, that nod to the history of the women’s event and the previous trophy that was used prior to 1973.

The new design was created for the LTA by gold and silversmiths Thomas Lyte and takes its inspiration from the flowing lines of free moving women’s tennis clothing. The design was agreed with a specially convened Design Panel made up of the LTA’s four female Tournament Directors and Olga Morozova.

The trophy and its plinth are exactly the same height as the HSBC Championships men’s singles trophy at 76cm high. Whilst the 52cm height of the trophy itself is a reference to the 52 years between women’s events at The Queen’s Club. The plinth contains the names of the winners of the female singles title between 1884 and 1973, whilst leaving room for new names to be written into history.

Laura Robson, Former British Tennis Player and tournament Director, welcomed the return of The HSBC Championships and live activation at Trafalgar Square, saying: “As a passionate advocate of women’s sport, and tennis in particular, working with HSBC to bring women’s tennis back to Queen’s is a huge moment for both women and tennis. Tennis is a sport for everyone so it’s important to see that representation on the court and that showed today at the Trafalgar Square activation, with so many people of all ages eager to experience the fun of taking to the court.”

Stuart Tait, HSBC UK’s Head of Commercial Banking said of the partnership: “HSBC has a long-standing commitment to world class sport, and we’re honoured to begin our title sponsorship of the HSBC Championships the same year the women’s game returns to London. Our ambition is to create a phenomenal experience for athletes and fans – including exclusive benefits for our customers – that serves up passion, perseverance and opportunity both on and off the court.”

Scott Lloyd, Chief Executive of the LTA said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with HSBC in bringing this event to life in the heart of London. It’s an exciting time for the competition with a new trophy for the women’s event being unveiled today and communities from across the capital picking up a racket and having the chance to play tennis in the middle of Trafalgar Square. With a limited number of tickets still available there is still time to make it along to Queen’s this summer.”

Portia Archer, WTA CEO: “The WTA is looking forward to the HSBC Championships, our first visit to Queen’s in over half a century. Women’s tennis is surging in popularity across the world, and particularly in the UK, thanks to the star quality and elite performances of the WTA athletes, as they bridge over to wider culture. Queen’s is a wonderful stage to showcase our sport in front of the passionate UK fans and open the WTA’s grass court season.”

HSBC and the LTA have established a four-year partnership through until 2028 that will see the bank as title sponsor of the HSBC Championships at the Queen’s Club. To secure your seat to watch the Brits take on the world’s best in a bid to lift the HSBC Championships trophy this summer, head to https://www.lta.org.uk/fan-zone/international/hsbc-championships/

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