Before the crowds descend on SW19, the world’s biggest tennis stars gather at The Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic for one of London’s most exclusive sporting events.
Sure, there is another tennis tournament that dominates London at this time of year. But those in the know understand they don’t need to cross the river to see some of the week’s most compelling courtside action.
Setting up its nets, marquees, and marking lines across the perfectly manicured lawns of the Hullingham Club, the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic is the last stop that some of the sport’s biggest stars take to the court before Wimbledon begins the following week. Over the five-day tournament, Jannik Sinner, Casper Ruud, Ben Shelton, Cameron Norrie, Tommy Paul, and more took to the grass. They were joined in Fulham by crowd-favorite legends including Mansour Bahrami, Michael Chang, and Monica Puig.
It’s billed as an exclusive Wimbledon warm-up, but there’s little sense that anyone treats it as just an exhibition game. «There’s nothing quite like playing at home, and competing at The Hurlingham Club is a true honor,» said Norrie ahead of the event. «It’s one of Britain’s most iconic tennis venues, steeped in history, and the atmosphere is always incredible.»
For some players, it also marked their first outing on grass this season. Including, most notably, Sinner, who, off the back of his French Open triumph, described the week at Hullingham as the ideal opportunity to fine-tune both his game and preparation.
Speaking on Wednesday after his win over the British number one, Norrie, he described the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic as “one of the best preparations I’ve had since a long time before a Grand Slam.” Playing amid London’s record-breaking June heatwave, which saw temperatures climb to around 95°F during his match, the Italian even welcomed the challenge. «That’s exactly what I need before starting the tournament,» he said. «In the future, we’ll always try to practise in warmer conditions.»
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For the well-dressed spectators lining the court, meanwhile, Hurlingham offers an unusually up-close look at the players who will dominate the headlines at SW19 just days later, all while sipping glasses of rosé and soaking up the intimate atmosphere. Sinner’s straight-sets victory over Norrie underlined why he will arrive at Wimbledon as the man to beat, while Ben Shelton continued his impressive grass-court form with a confident win over Casper Ruud. Elsewhere, Jiri Lehecka overcame Norrie in three sets, and rising American Martin Damm got the better of Karen Khachanov, offering plenty of clues as to who could carry momentum into the Championships.
Despite the stakes for the players, the atmosphere for the crowd remained relaxed. Conversations from the players’ boxes drifted into the stands, while the evening Legend Matches brought a lighthearted energy to conclude the day. Bahrami, still one of tennis’ great entertainers, had the crowd laughing as much as applauding with his trademark trick shots, while Chang, Puig, and Baghdatis reminded everyone that class doesn’t disappear after retirement.
Between matches, guests moved between hospitality suites, champagne receptions, and player Q&As, glasses of Whispering Angel in hand. Elite Traveler was the event’s official media partner and followed the action throughout the week, while Michelin-starred chef Paul Ainsworth oversaw the culinary program, bringing his acclaimed No. 6 restaurant to West London, with Cornish ingredients and dishes such as Cornish crab vol-au-vent served with caviar and Padstow turbot chop.
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