Queen’s in west London opened its grass-court matches as the sport moved on from the French Open and straight into the brief run-up to Wimbledon. The tournament is taking place in rain just less than a week after Paris ended, with players trying to make every day on the surface count.
That is why people are searching where is queens tennis now: the venue is in London, and it sits at the heart of a transition that leaves little room for error. The women’s grass-court swing lasts little more than four weeks, and Queen’s offers one of the first real chances to get used to the surface before Wimbledon begins three weeks later.
Katie Boulter, 29 and world No. 73, said grass season takes her back to childhood. “When you go into a grass season, it takes me back to my childhood,” she said. “It takes me back to where it started. It grounds me. Being out there on the lawn playing and enjoying myself resonates with me as a child.” For Boulter, the surface is not just a change of pace. It is a return to something familiar.
That comfort is not shared by everyone in the draw. Victoria Mboko said she is still learning what the grass asks of her. “I’m not very familiar on the grass,” she said, adding that “it’s a little bit tough changing surfaces on the body, but I like doing challenges and I like things that come new to me.” Queen’s makes that adjustment immediate, and unforgiving, for players coming off clay.
Tatjana Maria knows that better than most. Last year’s Queen’s champion, whose title was the first there since 1973, went through qualifying this year and said that extra match time can matter. “One match definitely on grass and it never hurts,” she said. “Players here at the beginning, they have not so much practice time on the grass.” Amanda Anisimova, the American world No. 5, was back at Queen’s after finishing runner-up last year, another sign that the women’s event is drawing players who need the tournament as much for preparation as for prize money.
That is the point of Queen’s this week. The professional tours stretch for almost 11 months, but only a narrow window is set aside for grass, and lower-ranked players who have to go through qualifying can buy themselves more time on it. What happens in west London over the next few days will not settle Wimbledon, but it will show which players are adapting fastest before the Championships arrive.
