Hamburg has had a firm place in the WTA calendar for decades as one of the most prestigious and oldest tournaments in the world. The history of the tournament dates back to 1896. After the sale of the tournament licence in 2002, no professional women's tournament was held in the city for 19 years.

In 2021, MatchMaker Sports GmbH succeeded in bringing a WTA tournament back to the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg - with the clear aim of further developing the event and anchoring it in the city in the long term. 

The tournament has recently been a good place for German players in particular. The current tournament ambassador Andrea Petkovic reached the final in 2021 and local hero Noma Noha Akugue in 2023. This is not the only reason why the tournament is the ideal stage for the best German tennis players to showcase themselves in front of their home fans.

The record winner is Steffi Graf, who won six times in a row between 1987 and 1992. Other prominent winners include Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (1993, 1994, 1996), Martina Hingis (1998, 2000), Venus Williams (1999, 2001) and Kim Clijsters (2002).