*The Clubhouse – a long sporting history
Since 1886, the Queen’s Club has provided visitors the opportunity to play tennis, lawn tennis, squash, Eton fives, football, rugby, and rackets on courts that have been called among the best in the world. The club was the first multipurpose sporting club anywhere in the world and was named after Queen Victoria, who was the club’s first patron. The club has been the headquarters of rackets and squash since the Prince’s Club closed in 1940 and the many hotels near Queens Club offer a place to stay between games.
Championships – the grounds have hosted many players and fans.
Since its opening, the Queen’s Club has played host to a variety of world championship games. Among them are the Fever-Tree Championships, the British Open and World Rackets Championships. The club is now home to the Lawn Tennis Association and has hosted events with as many of 10,000 spectators through the years.
*Oxford vs. Cambridge – a storied past at the club
The first event held at the Queen’s Club was on July 1-2, 1887 and was a tennis match between Oxford and Cambridge. The University Sports meeting between Oxford and Cambridge continued to be held at the Queen’s Club until 1928. The Queen’s Club also hosted the annual Varsity Match, a rugby competition between Oxford and Cambridge, until space became too small and the game was moved to Twickenham.
1908 Olympics – a Queen’s Club story worth telling
During the 1908 Olympics, the indoor tennis, real tennis, and rackets events were held at the Queen’s Club. That year, Great Britain took home 146 medals, 56 of them being gold, making them the number one ranking country in the games for that year.
Sporting Days – a chance to play and socialize
Another event that’s been happening at the Queen’s Club for many years is sporting days. This gives players the chance to enjoy games on the world-renowned playing courts and can include coaching and tournament play. This is often done for charity and can be combined with the dining and other facilities. There are a number of hotels near Queens Club for players who come from far away.
Pic: By Unknown author – The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News (November 16, 1918), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40179142
History Active 