With Wimbledon tennis matches coming to a close, we reflect on the major international tournaments that used to happen right here in our town. To see the best tennis 125 years ago, you would have headed to the Queen’s Royal Hotel, now the site of Queen’s Royal Park off King Street in the Old Town district. With six grass tennis courts, the hotel could host tournaments of the quality of Wimbledon. A tournament was established in 1886, known as The International at Niagara-on-the-Lake. It quickly became a “must-do” for the major players of the day. Over the next 25 years, all the American and Canadian champions would play The International, along with a number of Wimbledon champions. In 1895, the Canadian Lawn Tennis Association (forerunner to Tennis Canada) moved the Canadian Championships from Toronto to Niagara-on-the-Lake. In both these international tournaments, men and women were accorded equal treatment, a significant element during a time when women were denied the vote, had limited access to higher education, and were excluded from most sports. In tennis, they competed on the same stage as the men. This week’s photo shows mixed doubles playing on the local courts at the former Queen’s Royal.