New trophy unveiled for women’s event at the HSBC Championships

Just a week out from the first WTA event at The Queen’s Club for 52 years, we joined forces with HSBC to host a pop-up event in the heart of central London with a unique tennis court and the first look at the brand-new women’s trophy.

Londoners had the chance to find out more about the HSBC Championships and experience first-hand coaching sessions from tennis legend and coach, Judy Murray, demonstrating her top tips on the court. Passersby and fans, including a local Girlguiding group, also had an opportunity to step onto court to showcase their own shots like a tennis pro.

To mark the occasion, LTA’s Chief Executive Scott Lloyd, and HSBC UK’s Head of Commercial Banking Stuart Tait unveiled the brand-new women’s trophy Trafalgar Square alongside the last winner of the women’s competition in 1973, Olga Morozova.

The new trophy seen for the first time this weekend boasts an elegant and graceful modern design that will soon no doubt become as iconic as the men’s trophy. The design also incorporates some traditional elements, such as a curved base, that nod to the history of the women’s event and the previous trophy that was used prior to 1973.

The new design was created for the LTA by gold and silversmiths Thomas Lyte and takes its inspiration from the flowing lines of free moving women’s tennis clothing. The design was agreed with a specially convened Design Panel made up of the LTA’s four female Tournament Directors and Olga Morozova.

The trophy and its plinth are exactly the same height as the HSBC Championships men’s singles trophy at 76cm high. Whilst the 52cm height of the trophy itself is a reference to the 52 years between women’s events at The Queen’s Club. 

The plinth contains the names of the winners of the female singles title between 1884 and 1973, whilst leaving room for new names to be written into history.

Laura Robson, Former British Tennis Player and tournament Director, welcomed the return of The HSBC Championships and live activation at Trafalgar Square, saying: “As a passionate advocate of women’s sport, and tennis in particular, working with HSBC to bring women’s tennis back to Queen’s is a huge moment for both women and tennis. Tennis is a sport for everyone so it’s important to see that representation on the court and that showed today at the Trafalgar Square activation, with so many people of all ages eager to experience the fun of taking to the court.”

Stuart Tait, HSBC UK’s Head of Commercial Banking said of the partnership: “HSBC has a long-standing commitment to world class sport, and we’re honoured to begin our title sponsorship of the HSBC Championships the same year the women’s game returns to London. Our ambition is to create a phenomenal experience for athletes and fans – including exclusive benefits for our customers – that serves up passion, perseverance and opportunity both on and off the court.”

Scott Lloyd, Chief Executive of the LTA said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with HSBC in bringing this event to life in the heart of London. It’s an exciting time for the competition with a new trophy for the women’s event being unveiled today and communities from across the capital picking up a racket and having the chance to play tennis in the middle of Trafalgar Square. With a limited number of tickets still available there is still time to make it along to Queen’s this summer.”

Portia Archer, WTA CEO: “The WTA is looking forward to the HSBC Championships, our first visit to Queen's in over half a century. Women's tennis is surging in popularity across the world, and particularly in the UK, thanks to the star quality and elite performances of the WTA athletes, as they bridge over to wider culture. Queen's is a wonderful stage to showcase our sport in front of the passionate UK fans and open the WTA’s grass court season."