Tennis • 10sBalls • Why We Love The Queen’s Club More Than Wimbledon

Lovey’s Lob

Lovey Jergens Journal

 

We should say that again:

We LOVE The Queen’s Club more than we love the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), aka Wimbledon.

That remark this morning put some of the group at 10sBalls.com in shock. They wondered how early I had been testing the FEVER-TREE with (they were hoping) vodka and not gin. Nope. I had my posh earl grey tea instead. No Pimm’s yet.

But I was telling the truth. Yes we love almost everything down to each blade of grass at WIMBLEDON. But, ok – Here, are you ready?… To me, so much has been re-built and remodeled at Wimbledon. I’m not saying it doesn’t look beautiful. I’m not saying it isn’t amazing. I love the Aorangi new lunchroom. But it’s all been re-furbished.

Then you have The Queen’s Club! It’s still The Queen’s Club for well over a century. That’s a hundred years plus!

@bretterz on Instagram

 

What do I mean? You can feel the History. It hasn’t been enlarged or remodeled much. When they make the tourney, they build up on all the space and every inch of property to build out. The Club’s membership is large and diverse, and they have intelligent committees that “get it”, leaving the Old Grand Dame of a clubhouse alone. When I walk those hallways, I’m walking the same hallways that every great tennis player that has ever lived walked as well. All of them.

Last year. we, the 10sBalls.com crew, got lost. Ok. Every year, every day we get lost. Oh, it’s one of my fave things to do there. And we found an indoor court with balconies that Bill Tilden played an epic match on. Then, my friend April showed me things I’d never seen before. So go figure. It’s one of those events that players don’t want to lose early. They want to stay and stay, and so does the public. The grass there is absolutely the world’s finest.

This tourney – The Queen’s Club that is – really understands the concept that “Tennis falls under the Hospitality category”… Yup, I said it. Most tourneys treat the sponsors right, or alright. And treat the players nicely, sort of. And they treat the ticket holders, well… basically as disposable. It’s that same treatment, and bad marketing, that have cost America so many great tournaments it used to host. The American events even treat 20-, 30-, 40-, and 50-year ticket patrons the same as day-ticket holders: disposable. They offer us zero quality hospitality. The “Undertakers” in U.S. Tennis know who they are.

Ok, here it is: that pitcher of Pimm’s. I sure know why Big Boss never mentioned how tasty they were. And so nutritious!