Yas Queen’s: Why HSBC Championships expansion has been a smash for business
When Queen’s Club welcomed back a women’s tournament after a half-century hiatus last year, turning the HSBC Championships into a two-week festival of men’s and women’s tennis, it looked to be a no-brainer.
The men’s event at the exclusive west London members’ establishment had long been Wimbledon’s little brother, beloved of fans, players and brands alike. Adding a sister tournament was the logical extension.
And so it has proved. Last year the Lawn Tennis Association sold 62,000 tickets for the women’s week, which precedes the men’s competition. For this year’s edition, which concluded on Sunday, that number passed 70,000.
The LTA reports being at 98 per cent capacity for the week, with five of the seven days of play completely sold out. It didn’t hurt that Serena Williams made a surprise comeback in the doubles, nor that Brits Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter went deep.
Raducanu’s appearance in the final – a welcome pre-Wimbledon return to form for a player who hadn’t won a match since March – pulled in viewers on TV too, with a peak audience of 1.9m tuning in on BBC1 and a further 434,000 watching online.
Despite the clear case for adding the women’s event to Queen’s, it still represented a gamble of sorts from the LTA, with Eastbourne – previously the women’s traditional British grass court tune-up for Wimbledon – downgraded in status.
Yet the numbers reveal that it has paid off in spades. Revenue from LTA events was up 24 per cent in 2025 and income from commercial partners such as HSBC, Lexus and Barclays increased, as forecast, by 37 per cent.
That is good news in isolation, but even more important at a time when the LTA is gradually being weaned off its reliance on a share of the profits from Wimbledon to break even. As a non-profit, it reinvests its takings into tennis and padel.
It should help the LTA achieve its stated goal of equalising men’s and women’s prize money at Queen’s by 2029. This year’s women’s purse was up 35 per cent to £1.4m, among the highest for any WTA 500 event. The men’s is £2.2m.
How tennis serves up better returns for economy
Beyond the bijou club, the increased activity has translated into higher returns for business. Last year’s women’s event generated £4.3m in revenues for London-based firms and a total economic impact of £6.3m. Combined with the men’s week, that figure was £14.9m.
“Events like Queen’s attract both a domestic and international audience, increasing demand for hotels, B&Bs, and taxi services, as well as local attractions, which also benefit if guests choose to extend their stay in the area,” said Tina McKenzie, policy chair at the Federation of Small Businesses.
“Occasions like these are a perfect opportunity for small businesses in the area to go all-in with themed products or promotions and time-limited offers to really tap into the excitement and make the most of it.”
With the men’s HSBC Championships currently in progress, local pub Curtains Up, part of the Young’s group, says sales are already up 28 per cent on last year. A bumper summer of sport, with a men’s football World Cup ongoing in North America, also helps.
Michelle Ovens, CEO and founder of Small Business Britain, says “it’s not just the events taking place here at home that create opportunities for small businesses”.
She adds: “Major sporting events from around the world also drive consumer spending and bring communities together, creating increased footfall for pubs, restaurants, retailers and hospitality businesses across the country.”
Queen’s hasn’t been without its hiccups, such as a weaker than usual men’s field this year, missing Carlos Alcaraz and Jack Draper, and criticism over organisers’ failure to give places to 2025 women’s champion Tatjana Maria and veteran Brit Dan Evans.
But the remodelled British grass court season, with two weeks of elite men’s and women’s tennis at Queen’s at its heart, has been a smash, and, with new sponsors joining this year, the signs are that the growth will only continue.