Ticket prices were lower in the WTA week, which will not yet be able to raise anything like the revenue of the long-established men’s event.
Over 66,000 tickets were sold for the women’s tournament with the final three days sold out completely. The LTA says this makes it one of the highest attendances for a standalone WTA event anywhere, behind only the Charleston and Canadian Opens.
“The two tournaments have different personalities and we want to make sure the women’s event has its own identity,” Robson told BBC 5 Live.
“From ticket sales we’ve noticed 55% of the tickets have been sold to women this week. That’s not the case next week.
“We’ve seen a younger, more diverse audience in the crowd, and that’s something we hope to grow in many years to come. This feels like the start of something special.”
Attracting the biggest players is an ongoing challenging. With Queen’s taking place straight after the French Open, only three top-10 players ultimately competed, with world number three Jessica Pegula a late withdrawal.
The total fund this week was £1.043m ($1.415m), compared with £2.122m (2.522m euros) for the men. The LTA has pledged to introduce equal prize money by no later than 2029.
As for the courts, they do show signs of wear and tear after a week of action, but that is to be expected. Tennis correspondent Russell Fuller compared them to “day three or four” at Wimbledon.
“I can’t actually believe how well they’ve held up,” said Robson. “It looks almost pristine still.
“The ground staff have done an incredible job and put in some serious hours.
“So far, no complaints from the ATP players on site, and long may that continue.”
Britain’s Dan Evans, arriving on site while the tournament was ongoing, said the women’s event being held before the men’s had created a better buzz around the venue.
Ultimately, having a standalone women’s event put the spotlight firmly on the female players as the British public begins to turn its attention towards Wimbledon.
“I think it’s a really good opportunity for women’s tennis,” Boulter added.
“It was a massive schedule change and probably quite risky, because we are quite set in our ways.
“I think it’s in a place that it should be – and it’s pushing more and more towards where it could be.”
