The first edition of the Queen’s Club Championships took place in 1881.
Great Britain’s Frederick Rawson won the men’s singles event, while M. Raikes captured the women’s singles title.
British players continued to win the men’s and women’s singles events for the next 23 years.
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In 1905, the first-ever non-British player won a singles event at the Queen’s Club.
That player was Holcombe Ward.
Holcombe Ward’s Queen’s Club triumph
In 1905, Holcombe Ward [pictured below, centre] ended the cycle of British dominance at the Queen’s Club Championships.
The American, a former world number one on the amateur tour, was due to play compatriot Beals Wright in the championship match.
Wright defeated Australia’s N.E. Brooks in the semi-final, triumphing 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-1.
Meanwhile, Ward overcame Great Britain’s A.W. Gore, 6-1, 6-8, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.
Wright subsequently withdrew from the final, handing Ward the title.
Ward and Wright also teamed up for the doubles event, reaching the final after beating Australia’s N. E. Brooks and P. Dunlop.
A New York Times report from 1905 summarised the proceedings in the British capital.
“The American tennis players swept everything before them at the Queen’s Club today, defeating the Englishmen in the singles and the Australians in the doubles in the semi-final rounds,” the report read.
“Wright scratched to Ward for the finals in the singles, thus creating Ward champion of the City of London.”
The last American man to win Queen’s
Tommy Paul ended America’s 14-year wait for a men’s singles champion at the Queen’s Club when he captured the 2024 title.
Paul, seeded fifth in London, defeated Jack Draper and Sebastian Korda on his way to the championship match.
In the final, Paul overcame unseeded Lorenzo Musetti, winning 6-1, 7-6 in the Andy Murray Arena.
“I want to congratulate Lorenzo on a good week – he’s been playing amazing tennis,” Paul said during his post-match speech. “I’m happy to get the win today, but I’m happy to share the court with you.
American men who have won the Queen’s Club singles title
- Holcombe Ward [1905]
- Williams Johnston [1920]
- Vincent Richards [1923]
- Bill Tilden [1928]
- Wilmer Allison [1930]
- Sidney Woods [1934]
- Donald Budge [1936, 1937]
- Bob Falkenburg [1947]
- Ted Schroeder [1949]
- Stan Smith [1971]
- Jimmy Connors [1972, 1982, 1983]
- John McEnroe [1979, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985]
- Tim Mayotte [1986]
- Todd Martin [1994]
- Pete Sampras [1995, 1999]
- Andy Roddick [2003, 2004, 2005, 2007]
- Sam Querrey [2010]
- Tommy Paul [2024]
“It means everything [to join other American Queen’s champions].
“Going through the hallways in here, the locker room, the names that are on the wall – it’s unbelievable and it was my goal always to put my name next to them.”
