The Queen's Club women's tennis tournament served up a match-winning performance this year, packing in record crowds and electrifying the atmosphere – and it's fair to say it stole the show from its male counterpart. With an astonishing 98% capacity across seven days, including sell-out crowds on five of them, over 70,000 tickets sold proved that women's tennis is as big a draw as ever, even beating the men in terms of popularity.
The return of tennis royalty Serena Williams to doubles, teaming up with young gun Victoria Mboko, was the biggest talking point before the tournament began. Although their campaign was cruelly cut short by injury, the drama continued to unfold as British stars Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter wowed home fans with some stunning displays. Boulter's shock win over world No. 2 Elena Rybakina sent ripples through the tournament, while Raducanu proved her staying power in her biggest final since that unforgettable US Open victory two years ago.
But the men's event struggled to match its sibling's star power, hampered by a woeful injury crisis that left only one top-10 player, Alex de Minaur, in the draw. The likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jack Draper were among those forced to sit out, while UK tax laws made it harder for tournaments like Halle to compete with Queen's – no wonder tickets sold out in a heartbeat!
The LTA deserves huge credit for bringing women's tennis back to the Queen's Club after 52 years away. It was a bold move that initially raised eyebrows among some club members, but the success of this year's event has surely silenced any doubters. The star power of Williams, Raducanu, and Boulter helped to seal it – and what an atmosphere they created! Donna Vekic's fairytale victory over lucky loser Raducanu will be remembered for ages.
The Queen's Club women's tournament is a triumph that shows women's professional tennis can hold its own in the big leagues, commercially speaking. With crowds clamouring to get in and stars delivering on court, it's clear this is a sport that's here to stay – and we can't wait for next year's instalment!