Lois Boisson capped off the biggest win of her career at the 2025 Hamburg Open – but it was not just her breakthrough performance that had fans talking.
The 22-year-old Frenchwoman dispatched Anna Bondar in straight sets in Sunday’s final (7-5, 6-3), having battled down from behind on both occasions.
For her efforts, she was handed one of the most bizarre trophies seen in recent tennis history: a 3D-printed replica of a shipping container.
Straying from the traditional sleek glass sculptures, Boisson lifted a chunky, rectangular object, with an MSC cargo company logo overlaying it – the title sponsor of this year’s tournament.
It is likely that the trophy was designed to reflect the city’s industrial spirit, with the Port of Hamburg – one of Europe’s busiest shipping hubs – acting as inspiration for the unconventional design.
Fans were quick to flood in and share their opinions on the eyebrow-raising creation, which seem to split opinions on social media.
Lois Boisson’s shipping crate-inspired trophy after winning the Hamburg Open shocked fans
Meanwhile, her opponent – Anna Bondar – was handed a much more conventional silver plate
Boisson’s trophy was likely designed to reflect Hamburg’s industrial spirit, with its trophy being one of Europe’s busiest shipping hubs
One fan wrote on X: ‘WHY IS IT A SHIPPING CRATE?’ while another noted: ‘I see those containers at the port.’
A third jokingly asked: ‘Is there gift inside the box?’
A fourth commented: ‘I kinda like it. It’s unique!’
Bondar, meanwhile, earned a much more orthodox silver plate for finishing runner-up. But Boisson’s shipping‑container trophy wasn’t the first eye-catching prize presented at the Hamburg Open.
In 2018, tournament organisers introduced a bold concept, where the trophy’s form reflects the trajectory of the championship-point ball from the prior year’s final.
Since then, a yellow line tracking that decisive shot has formed the centerpiece of both the logo and the trophy.
This year’s choice to hand over a shipping container may seem like a bizarre innovation, but it is perfectly in keeping with the Hamburg Open’s odd silverware traditions.
Unconventional trophies have long been part of sporting culture, and not every award has to follow the basic cup or plate blueprint.
Lando Norris was handed a trophy made of LEGO after winning this year’s British Grand Prix
In golf, the oddly shaped Claret Jug is presented to the winner of the Open Championship
In American college football, the Paul Bunyan Trophy is awarded annually to the winner of the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry
The Mexican Open tennis champion takes home a striking silver gourd-shaped trophy
At the Paris–Roubaix cycling race, the trophy is a piece of mounted cobblestone – a chunk of rough rock set on a wooden base
One of the most bold designs came in 1993, when F1 icon Ayrton Senna lifted a full-size Sonic the Hedgehog statue, gifted to him by organisers of the Japanese Grand Prix.
At this year’s British Grand Prix, the podium ceremony took a playful twist as all three top finishers received trophies built entirely out of LEGO bricks, with Lando Norris claiming the standout golden version for his victory.
In the world of golf, the Claret Jug is presented to the winner of the Open Championship and also strays from regularity – a delicate silver vessel with a curved handle and slender spout, shaped like a jug.
In American college football, the Paul Bunyan Trophy, awarded annually to the winner of the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry, features a massive wooden figure of a lumberjack with an axe between its legs.
The Mexican Open tennis champion takes home a striking silver gourd-shaped trophy, based on the fleshy, hard-skinned large fruit, with Tomas Machac winning the award this year.
At the Paris–Roubaix cycling race, the trophy is a piece of mounted cobblestone – a chunk of rough rock set on a wooden base.
