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\t\tRaducanu’s run to the final helped attract bumper crowds and viewership\t<\/p>\n\t\t\tThursday 18 June 2026 11:00 am
\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Updated:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\t\tWednesday 17 June 2026 3:32 pm\n\t<\/p>\n
\t\tRaducanu’s run to the final helped attract bumper crowds and viewership\t<\/p>\n
When Queen\u2019s Club welcomed back a women\u2019s tournament after a half-century hiatus last year, turning the HSBC Championships into a two-week festival of men\u2019s and women\u2019s tennis, it looked to be a no-brainer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The men\u2019s event at the exclusive west London members\u2019 establishment<\/a> had long been Wimbledon\u2019s little brother, beloved of fans, players and brands alike<\/a>. Adding a sister tournament was the logical extension.<\/p>\n And so it has proved. Last year the Lawn Tennis Association<\/a> sold 62,000 tickets for the women\u2019s week, which precedes the men\u2019s competition. For this year\u2019s edition, which concluded on Sunday, that number passed 70,000.<\/p>\n 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\u2019t hurt that Serena Williams made a surprise comeback in the doubles, nor that Brits Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter went deep.<\/p>\n Raducanu\u2019s appearance in the final \u2013 a welcome pre-Wimbledon return to form for a player who hadn\u2019t won a match since March<\/a> \u2013 pulled in viewers on TV too, with a peak audience of 1.9m tuning in on BBC1 and a further 434,000 watching online.<\/p>\n Despite the clear case for adding the women\u2019s event to Queen\u2019s, it still represented a gamble of sorts from the LTA, with Eastbourne \u2013 previously the women\u2019s traditional British grass court tune-up for Wimbledon \u2013 downgraded in status.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>, by 37 per cent.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n It should help the LTA achieve its stated goal<\/a> of equalising men\u2019s and women\u2019s prize money at Queen\u2019s by 2029. This year\u2019s women\u2019s purse was up 35 per cent to \u00a31.4m<\/a>, among the highest for any WTA 500 event. The men\u2019s is \u00a32.2m.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tRead more<\/p>\n \t\t\tLondonmaxxing: Queen\u2019s start of top tennis year for capital<\/a><\/p>\n \tHow tennis serves up better returns for economy<\/p>\n Beyond the bijou club, the increased activity has translated into higher returns for business. Last year\u2019s women\u2019s event generated \u00a34.3m in revenues for London-based firms and a total economic impact of \u00a36.3m. Combined with the men\u2019s week, that figure was \u00a314.9m.<\/p>\n \u201cEvents like Queen\u2019s 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,\u201d said Tina McKenzie, policy chair at the Federation of Small Businesses.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOccasions 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.\u201d<\/p>\n With the men\u2019s HSBC Championships currently in progress, local pub Curtains Up, part of the Young\u2019s<\/a> group, says sales are already up 28 per cent on last year. A bumper summer of sport, with a men\u2019s football World Cup<\/a> ongoing in North America, also helps.\u00a0<\/p>\n Michelle Ovens, CEO and founder of Small Business Britain, says \u201cit\u2019s not just the events taking place here at home that create opportunities for small businesses\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n She adds: \u201cMajor 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Queen\u2019s hasn\u2019t been without its hiccups, such as a weaker than usual men\u2019s field this year, missing Carlos Alcaraz and Jack Draper, and criticism<\/a> over organisers\u2019 failure to give places to 2025 women\u2019s champion Tatjana Maria and veteran Brit Dan Evans.<\/p>\n But the remodelled British grass court season, with two weeks of elite men\u2019s and women\u2019s tennis at Queen\u2019s at its heart, has been a smash, and, with new sponsors joining<\/a> this year, the signs are that the growth will only continue.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tRead more<\/p>\n