Grand Prix tennis tournaments
Encyclopedia
The Grand Prix tennis circuit was a professional tennis
tour for male players that existed from 1970 to 1989. It was the more prominent of two predecessors to the current tour for male players, the ATP Tour
, the other being World Championship Tennis
(WCT).
and Vincent Richards
were contracted to these promoters while amateur players followed their national (and international) federation. Later professional promoters, such as Bill Tilden
and Jack Kramer, often convinced leading amateurs such as Pancho Gonzales
and Rod Laver
to join their tours with promises of good prize money, but these successes led to financial difficulties when players were paid too much and falling attendances resulted in reduced takings. In the late-1950s the professional tour began to fall apart. It only survived when the U.S. Pro Tennis Championships
, having been unable to give prize money to its winner in 1962, received prize money from the First National Bank of Boston
for the following year's tournament. At the same time the concept of "shamateurism" – amateur promoters paying players under the table to ensure they remained amateurs – had become apparent to Hernan David, the chairman of The Championships, Wimbledon
at that time.
In 1967, David announced that a professional tournament would be held at Wimbledon
after the Championships that year
. The tournament was televised by the BBC
and succeeded in gaining public support for professional tennis. In late 1967, the best of the remaining amateur players turned professional, paving the way for the first open tournament. Some professionals were independent at this time, such as Lew Hoad
, Luis Ayala
and Owen Davidson
, but most of the best players came under contract to one of two professional tours:
When the Open Era
began in 1968, tournaments often found themselves deprived of either NTL or WCT players. The first Open tournament, the British Hard Court Championships
at Bournemouth
, was played without WCT players, as was that year's French Open. In 1970, NTL players did not play the Australian Open
because their organization did not receive a guarantee.
When only a few contract players showed up for the 1970 French Open
, the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF), the predecessor of the International Tennis Federation
(ITF), approved the Grand Prix.
In 1971, World Championship Tennis
ran a twenty tournament circuit with the year-ending WCT Finals
held in November. At the end of 1970, a panel of journalists had ranked the best players in the world, and the best thirty-two men based on this ranking were invited to play the 1971 WCT circuit: among these 32 players were Ilie Năstase
, Stan Smith
, Jan Kodeš
, Željko Franulović
and Clark Graebner
. The Australian Open was part of the WCT circuit while the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open were Grand Prix events. The conflict between the ILTF running the Grand Prix and WCT was so strong that Rosewall, Gimeno, Laver, Emerson and other WCT players did not enter that year's US Open. There was a third professional circuit that year with the U.S Indoor Circuit run by Bill Riordan
, the future manager of Jimmy Connors
.
In 1972, the struggle between ILTF and WCT ended with the ILTF banning contract professional players from January to July. Consequently the WCT contract pros were strictly forbidden to play the Grand Prix circuit, including the French Open and Wimbledon. At the US Open the players formed their own syndicate, the Association of Tennis Professionals
(ATP), through the efforts of Jack Kramer, Donald Dell
, and Cliff Drysdale
.
In 1973, there were four rival professional circuits: the WCT circuit battled with the U.S. Indoor Circuit from January to April and the Grand Prix until July; both tours competed with the European Spring Circuit until June. In that same year the ATP created controversy by calling for a boycott of the 1973 Wimbledon Championships
after one of its members, Niki Pilić, was suspended by the Yugoslav Tennis Federation for failing to play in a Davis Cup
tie against New Zealand
. The ATP boycott, despite negotiation, went ahead, with only three members of the organisation – Roger Taylor, Ilie Năstase and Ray Keldie – breaking the picket. They were later fined for this. The men's draws for that year were subsequently made up of second-string players, lucky losers and older players such as Neale Fraser
, who reached the final of the men's doubles with fellow Australian John Cooper
. The draw also showcased future talents such as Björn Borg
, Vijay Amritraj
, Sandy Mayer
and John Lloyd, and record crowds helped to defy the boycott.
ranking. The split was short-lived, however, and in 1985 the Grand Prix absorbed the four remaining WCT tournaments.
During the 1988 US Open the ATP, led by then-World No. 1 Mats Wilander
, staged an impromptu meeting known as the Parking Lot Press Conference during failed negotiations with the MTC over the organisation of the Grand Prix and key issues such as player fatigue. During the Conference the ATP declared that it would be starting its own tour in 1990, meaning that the 1989 Grand Prix would effectively be its last. The final event of the Grand Prix was the Nabisco Masters Doubles held at the Royal Albert Hall
in London
in the United Kingdom
from December 6 through December 10, 1989. Its last champions were Jim Grabb
and Patrick McEnroe
, who beat John Fitzgerald and Anders Järryd
7–5, 7–6, 5–7, 6–3.
from its December date – which had been adopted in 1977 so that it could be included in the Grand Prix points system – to January for the 1987 edition so that the Grand Prix Masters could be held in December from 1986 onwards. However, it failed to reduce or maintain the number of tournaments on the Grand Prix circuit, with 48 Grand Prix events being held in 1974 compared to 75 in 1989.
, led by Hamilton Jordan
, replaced the Men's Tennis Council as the sole governing body of men's professional tennis and the ATP Tour was born. The nine most prestigious Grand Prix tournaments became known as the Championship Series Single Week from 1990-1992. In 1993 Mercedes
then began to sponsor these series of events named as the Super 9 until 1999. In 2000 they became known as the Tennis Masters Series until 2004, then the ATP Masters Series until 2009. Now called the ATP World Tour Masters 1000
. Grand Prix tournaments below this level were originally called the Super Series, were retained by the ATP and renamed as the Championship Series. All remaining GP Tour events became part of the World Series
.
: All rankings were calculated using the Grand Prix points system and do not necessarily reflect the ATP rankings at the same time.
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
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1987
1988
1989 (last year)
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
tour for male players that existed from 1970 to 1989. It was the more prominent of two predecessors to the current tour for male players, the ATP Tour
Association of Tennis Professionals
The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
, the other being World Championship Tennis
World Championship Tennis
World Championship Tennis was a tour for professional male tennis players established in 1968 and lasted until the emergence of the ATP Tour in 1990...
(WCT).
Background
Prior to the Open Era popular professional tennis players were contracted to a Professional Promoter. Players such as Suzanne LenglenSuzanne Lenglen
Suzanne Rachel Flore Lenglen was a French tennis player who won 31 Championship titles between 1914 and 1926...
and Vincent Richards
Vincent Richards
Vincent "Vinnie" Richards was a top American tennis player in the early decades of the 20th Century, particularly known as being a superlative volleyer....
were contracted to these promoters while amateur players followed their national (and international) federation. Later professional promoters, such as Bill Tilden
Bill Tilden
William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of...
and Jack Kramer, often convinced leading amateurs such as Pancho Gonzales
Pancho Gonzales
Ricardo Alonso González , generally known as Richard "Pancho" Gonzales was an American tennis player. He was the world no. 1 professional tennis player for an unequalled eight years in the 1950s and early 1960s...
and Rod Laver
Rod Laver
Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970...
to join their tours with promises of good prize money, but these successes led to financial difficulties when players were paid too much and falling attendances resulted in reduced takings. In the late-1950s the professional tour began to fall apart. It only survived when the U.S. Pro Tennis Championships
U.S. Pro Tennis Championships
The U.S. Pro Tennis Championships was the oldest professional tennis tournament played until its final year of 1999 and is considered as a part of the professional grand slam from 1927 - 1967 until the advent of Open Era...
, having been unable to give prize money to its winner in 1962, received prize money from the First National Bank of Boston
BankBoston
BankBoston was a bank based in Boston, Massachusetts, which was created by the 1996 merger of Bank of Boston and BayBank. Bank of Boston had a venerable history dating back to 1784, but the merged BankBoston was short-lived, being acquired by Fleet Bank in 1999...
for the following year's tournament. At the same time the concept of "shamateurism" – amateur promoters paying players under the table to ensure they remained amateurs – had become apparent to Hernan David, the chairman of The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
at that time.
In 1967, David announced that a professional tournament would be held at Wimbledon
All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club , also known as the All-England Club, based at Aorangi Park, Wimbledon, London, England, is a private members club. It is best known as the venue for the Wimbledon Championships, the only Grand Slam tennis event still held on grass...
after the Championships that year
1967 Wimbledon Championships
List of Champions of the 1967 Wimbledon Championships:-Men's Singles: John Newcombe defeated Wilhelm P. Bungert, 6–3 6–1 6–1-Women's Singles: Billie Jean King defeated Ann Haydon-Jones, 6–3, 6–4-Men's Doubles:...
. The tournament was televised by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and succeeded in gaining public support for professional tennis. In late 1967, the best of the remaining amateur players turned professional, paving the way for the first open tournament. Some professionals were independent at this time, such as Lew Hoad
Lew Hoad
Lewis Alan Hoad was a champion tennis player....
, Luis Ayala
Luis Ayala (tennis)
Luis Alberto Ayala Salinas is a former Chilean world-ranked tennis player who competed in the 1950s and 1960s. When he retired, he became a tennis professional at River Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas. Currently, he is the Director of Tennis at the Forest Club in Houston, Texas.-Grand slams:...
and Owen Davidson
Owen Davidson
' was a professional tennis player of the 1960s and 1970s.Partnering Billie Jean King, Davidson managed to win eight grand slam mixed doubles titles. Davidson was one of very few to win a calendar year slam for mixed doubles, when he won the Australian Championships, French Championships,...
, but most of the best players came under contract to one of two professional tours:
- The National Tennis LeagueNational Tennis LeagueThere are "National Tennis Leagues" in many countries but this article is about the US National Tennis League.-History:The National Tennis League was formed by George McCall in 1967, as a governing body to a US Professional tennis tour...
(NTL), run by George McCall- Rod LaverRod LaverRodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970...
, Roy EmersonRoy EmersonRoy Stanley Emerson is an Australian former tennis player who won 12 Grand Slam singles titles and 16 Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He is the only male player to have won singles and doubles titles at all four Grand Slam tournaments. His 28 Grand Slam titles are an all-time record for a male...
, Ken RosewallKen RosewallKenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam...
, Andrés GimenoAndrés GimenoAndrés Gimeno Tolaguera is a retired Spanish tennis player. He major achievement came in 1972, when he won the French Open....
, Pancho GonzalesPancho GonzalesRicardo Alonso González , generally known as Richard "Pancho" Gonzales was an American tennis player. He was the world no. 1 professional tennis player for an unequalled eight years in the 1950s and early 1960s...
and Fred StolleFred StolleFrederick "Fred" Sydney Stolle is an Australian tennis player. He was born in Hornsby, New South Wales, Australia. He is the father of former Australian Davis Cup player Sandon Stolle....
- Rod Laver
- World Championship TennisWorld Championship TennisWorld Championship Tennis was a tour for professional male tennis players established in 1968 and lasted until the emergence of the ATP Tour in 1990...
(WCT), run by Dave Dixon and Lamar HuntLamar HuntLamar Hunt was an American sportsman and promoter of American football, soccer, basketball, and ice hockey in the United States and an inductee into three sports' halls of fame. He was one of the founders of the American Football League and Major League Soccer , as well as MLS predecessor the...
- Handsome Eight: John NewcombeJohn NewcombeJohn David Newcombe, AO, OBE is a former World No. 1 tennis player.-Biography:He won seven Grand Slam singles titles, A natural athlete, Newcombe played several sports as a boy until devoting himself to tennis. He was the Australian junior champion in 1961, 1962, and 1963 and was a member of...
, Tony RocheTony RocheAnthony "Tony" Dalton Roche is a former professional Australian tennis player, native of Tarcutta. He played junior tennis in the New South Wales regional city of Wagga Wagga. He won one Grand Slam singles title and twelve Grand Slam doubles titles. He is also very well known for coaching...
, Niki Pilić, Roger Taylor, Pierre BarthèsPierre BarthesPierre Barthès is a French retired professional tour tennis player.-Career:Born in Béziers, Barthès was one of the Handsome Eight and reached a career high singles ATP ranking in 1974 of World No. 54. Before the creation of the ATP ranking, he was one of the best twenty players in 1971. He was...
, Butch BuchholzButch BuchholzEarl "Butch" Buchholz, Jr., is a former professional tennis player from the United States who was one of the game's top players in the late-1950s and early-1960s....
, Cliff DrysdaleCliff DrysdaleCliff Drysdale is a former top-ranked professional tennis player of the 1960s and early 1970s who became a well-known tennis announcer. He was one of the Handsome Eight, signed by Lamar Hunt in 1968 for the newly formed World Championship Tennis group...
and Dennis RalstonDennis RalstonRichard Dennis Ralston is an American former professional tennis player. He attended the University of Southern California and won NCAA championships under their legendary coach, George Toley. He was coached in his earlier years by the legendary tennis player, Pancho Gonzales...
- Handsome Eight: John Newcombe
When the Open Era
Open era
Open era or Open Era may refer to:* Open Era , the period since 1968 where professionals can compete in Grand Slams* Glasnost era, the increased openness in the Soviet Union from the mid-1980s...
began in 1968, tournaments often found themselves deprived of either NTL or WCT players. The first Open tournament, the British Hard Court Championships
British Hard Court Championships
The British Hard Court Championships is a defunct Grand Prix tennis and WTA Tour affiliated tennis tournament played from 1968 to 1983 and 1995 to 1996. It was held in Torquay before moving to the West Hants Tennis Club in Bournemouth in England in the United Kingdom from 1927 to 1983 and in 1995...
at Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, was played without WCT players, as was that year's French Open. In 1970, NTL players did not play the Australian Open
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
because their organization did not receive a guarantee.
The formation of the Grand Prix
The manipulation of Grand Slams in particular by professional promoters at the start of the Open Era led Jack Kramer, the former No. 1 male tennis player in the world in the 1940s and 1950s and a promoter himself, to conceive the Grand Prix in 1969. He described it as "a series of tournaments with a money bonus pool that would be split up on the basis of a cumulative point system." This would encourage the best players to compete regularly in the series, so that they could share in the bonus at the end and qualify for a special championship tournament that would climax the year".When only a few contract players showed up for the 1970 French Open
1970 French Open
List of the 1970 French Open champions:-Men's singles: Jan Kodeš def. Željko Franulović, 6–2, 6–4, 6–0*It was Kodeš's 1st career Grand Slam title.-Women's singles: Margaret Court def...
, the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF), the predecessor of the International Tennis Federation
International Tennis Federation
The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913...
(ITF), approved the Grand Prix.
ILTF-WCT rivalry and the Association of Tennis Professionals
The first WCT tournaments were held in February 1968 and the first NTL tournaments in March 1968. In the spring of 1970 WCT absorbed the NTL.In 1971, World Championship Tennis
World Championship Tennis
World Championship Tennis was a tour for professional male tennis players established in 1968 and lasted until the emergence of the ATP Tour in 1990...
ran a twenty tournament circuit with the year-ending WCT Finals
WCT Finals
The WCT Finals was a tennis tournament that served as the season-ending championship for the World Championship Tennis circuit. The event was held annually in Dallas, Texas, and played on indoor carpet courts. The 1971 quarterfinals and semifinals were played in Houston, and final played at Moody...
held in November. At the end of 1970, a panel of journalists had ranked the best players in the world, and the best thirty-two men based on this ranking were invited to play the 1971 WCT circuit: among these 32 players were Ilie Năstase
Ilie Nastase
Ilie Nastase is a Romanian former professional tennis player, one of the world's top players of the 1970s. Năstase was the World No. 1 tennis player between 1973 and 1974 . He is one of the five players in history to win more than 100 ATP professional titles . He was inducted into the...
, Stan Smith
Stan Smith
Stanley Roger "Stan" Smith is a former American tennis player and two time Grand Slam singles champion who also, with his partner Bob Lutz, formed one of the most successful doubles teams of all time. Together, they won many major titles all over the world...
, Jan Kodeš
Jan Kodeš
Jan Kodeš is a right-handed Czech former tennis player who won three Grand Slam events in the early-1970s.Kodeš's greatest success was on the clay courts of the French Open. He won the title there in 1970, beating Željko Franulović in the final, and in 1971, defeating Ilie Năstase in the final...
, Željko Franulović
Željko Franulovic
Željko Franulović is a former Croatian tennis player who competed for Yugoslavia, best remembered for reaching the final of the French Open in 1970 where he lost against Czech Jan Kodeš in straight sets...
and Clark Graebner
Clark Graebner
Clark Graebner , is a retired American professional tennis player, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, who won a number of championships. He graduated from Northwestern University, where he joined the Delta Upsilon fraternity. Graebner's deceased wife, Carole, was also a successful touring tennis...
. The Australian Open was part of the WCT circuit while the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open were Grand Prix events. The conflict between the ILTF running the Grand Prix and WCT was so strong that Rosewall, Gimeno, Laver, Emerson and other WCT players did not enter that year's US Open. There was a third professional circuit that year with the U.S Indoor Circuit run by Bill Riordan
Bill Riordan
William James Frederick "Bill" Riordan CBE was an Australian politician and Minister for the Navy.Riordan was born in Chillagoe, Queensland, son of William James Riordan and nephew of Darby Riordan and Ernest Riordan William James Frederick "Bill" Riordan CBE (8 February 1908 – 15 January 1973)...
, the future manager of Jimmy Connors
Jimmy Connors
James Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player....
.
In 1972, the struggle between ILTF and WCT ended with the ILTF banning contract professional players from January to July. Consequently the WCT contract pros were strictly forbidden to play the Grand Prix circuit, including the French Open and Wimbledon. At the US Open the players formed their own syndicate, the Association of Tennis Professionals
Association of Tennis Professionals
The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
(ATP), through the efforts of Jack Kramer, Donald Dell
Donald Dell
Donald Dell is an attorney and was a professional tennis player, U.S. Davis Cup captain, and administrator. Dell was one of the first professional sports agents, having represented professional tennis players Arthur Ashe, Stan Smith, Jimmy Connors, and Ivan Lendl during pro tennis' golden age...
, and Cliff Drysdale
Cliff Drysdale
Cliff Drysdale is a former top-ranked professional tennis player of the 1960s and early 1970s who became a well-known tennis announcer. He was one of the Handsome Eight, signed by Lamar Hunt in 1968 for the newly formed World Championship Tennis group...
.
In 1973, there were four rival professional circuits: the WCT circuit battled with the U.S. Indoor Circuit from January to April and the Grand Prix until July; both tours competed with the European Spring Circuit until June. In that same year the ATP created controversy by calling for a boycott of the 1973 Wimbledon Championships
1973 Wimbledon Championships
List of the 1973 Wimbledon champions:-Men's singles: Jan Kodeš def. Alex Metreveli, 6–1, 9–8, 6–3-Women's singles: Billie Jean King def. Chris Evert, 6–0, 7–5...
after one of its members, Niki Pilić, was suspended by the Yugoslav Tennis Federation for failing to play in a Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
tie against New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The ATP boycott, despite negotiation, went ahead, with only three members of the organisation – Roger Taylor, Ilie Năstase and Ray Keldie – breaking the picket. They were later fined for this. The men's draws for that year were subsequently made up of second-string players, lucky losers and older players such as Neale Fraser
Neale Fraser
Neale Andrew Fraser AO MBE is a former tennis player from Australia, born in Melbourne, Victoria, the son of a Victorian judge. He began playing tennis at age 11 and attended St Kevin's College, Melbourne where he became Captain of Tennis at the school.Fraser won Wimbledon in 1960 and the US...
, who reached the final of the men's doubles with fellow Australian John Cooper
John Cooper (tennis)
John Cooper is a former Australian male tennis player who played on the ATP tour in the 1970s. He achieved a career-high ranking of #66 in September 1973...
. The draw also showcased future talents such as Björn Borg
Björn Borg
Björn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles...
, Vijay Amritraj
Vijay Amritraj
Vijay Amritraj is a former Indian tennis player, sports commentator and actor.Amritraj was born in Chennai, India to Maggie Dhairyam and Robert Amritraj. He and his brothers, Anand Amritraj and Ashok Amritraj, were among the first Indians to play in top-flight international tour tennis...
, Sandy Mayer
Sandy Mayer
Alexander "Sandy" Mayer is a former tennis player from the United States, who won ten titles in singles and twenty-four titles in doubles during his professional career. He was part of the winning tennis squad at Stanford University in 1973....
and John Lloyd, and record crowds helped to defy the boycott.
Integration and the end
The WCT and Grand Prix circuits were separate until 1977, when the Grand Prix circuit integrated the WCT circuit. In 1982, the WCT circuit split from the Grand Prix again and created a more complex WCT ranking, similar to the ATPAssociation of Tennis Professionals
The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
ranking. The split was short-lived, however, and in 1985 the Grand Prix absorbed the four remaining WCT tournaments.
During the 1988 US Open the ATP, led by then-World No. 1 Mats Wilander
Mats Wilander
Mats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title...
, staged an impromptu meeting known as the Parking Lot Press Conference during failed negotiations with the MTC over the organisation of the Grand Prix and key issues such as player fatigue. During the Conference the ATP declared that it would be starting its own tour in 1990, meaning that the 1989 Grand Prix would effectively be its last. The final event of the Grand Prix was the Nabisco Masters Doubles held at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
from December 6 through December 10, 1989. Its last champions were Jim Grabb
Jim Grabb
Jim Grabb is a 6' 4" former professional tennis player.Grabb was twice ranked the World No. 1 doubles player, in 1989 and in 1993. A right-handed serve-and-volleyer, Grabb's best singles ranking was World No. 24, a ranking he achieved in February 1990.-College:Grabb is Jewish, and was born in...
and Patrick McEnroe
Patrick McEnroe
Patrick John McEnroe is a former professional tennis player and the former captain of the United States Davis Cup team.Born in Manhasset, New York, he is the younger brother of John McEnroe...
, who beat John Fitzgerald and Anders Järryd
Anders Järryd
Anders Per Järryd is a former professional tennis player from Sweden. During his career he won eight Grand Slam doubles titles , reached the World No. 1 doubles ranking, and achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 5.Järryd was born in Lidköping, Västra Götaland...
7–5, 7–6, 5–7, 6–3.
Governance
The governance of the Grand Prix was led by the Men's International Professional Tennis Council (MIPTC) from 1974 until 1989; its name was shortened to the Men's Tennis Council (MTC) in 1988. The Council's duties included imposing fines for violations of its Code of Conduct, drug testing and administrating the Grand Prix circuit. It also moved the Australian OpenAustralian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
from its December date – which had been adopted in 1977 so that it could be included in the Grand Prix points system – to January for the 1987 edition so that the Grand Prix Masters could be held in December from 1986 onwards. However, it failed to reduce or maintain the number of tournaments on the Grand Prix circuit, with 48 Grand Prix events being held in 1974 compared to 75 in 1989.
Sponsors and Grand Prix tour names
Based on USLTA Tennis Yearbooks and Guides and World Of Tennis yearbooks the history of sponsors is as follows:- 1970 Pepsi-Cola Grand Prix1970 Pepsi-Cola Grand PrixThe 1970 Pepsi-Cola Grand Prix was a tennis circuit administered by the International Lawn Tennis Federation which served as a forerunner to the current Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour and the Women's Tennis Association Tour. The circuit comprised three Grand Slam tournaments and...
- 1971 Pepsi-Cola Grand Prix1971 Pepsi-Cola Grand PrixThe 1971 Pepsi Cola Grand Prix was a tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, the Grand Prix tournaments. The circuit was run by the ITLF and had events for men and women.-Schedule:...
- 1972 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix1972 Commercial Union Assurance Grand PrixThe 1972 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix was a tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, the Grand Prix tournaments.-Schedule:...
- 1973 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix1973 Commercial Union Assurance Grand PrixThe 1973 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix was a tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, the Grand Prix tournaments.-Schedule:...
- 1974 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix1974 Commercial Union Assurance Grand PrixThe 1974 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix was a tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, the Grand Prix tournaments.-Schedule:...
- 1975 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix1975 Commercial Union Assurance Grand PrixThe 1975 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix was a tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, the Grand Prix tournaments.-Schedule:...
- 1976 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix1976 Commercial Union Assurance Grand PrixThe 1976 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix was a tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, the Grand Prix tournaments.-Schedule:...
- 1977 Colgate-Palmolive Grand Prix1977 Colgate-Palmolive Grand PrixThe 1977 Colgate-Palmolive Grand Prix was a tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, the Grand Prix tournaments.-Schedule:...
- 1978 Colgate-Palmolive Grand Prix1978 Colgate-Palmolive Grand PrixThe 1978 Colgate-Palmolive Grand Prix was a tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, the Grand Prix tournaments.-Schedule:...
- 1979 Colgate-Palmolive Grand Prix1979 Colgate-Palmolive Grand PrixThe 1979 Colgate-Palmolive Grand Prix was a tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, the Grand Prix tournaments.-Schedule:...
- 1980 Volvo Grand Prix1980 Volvo Grand PrixThe 1980 Volvo Grand Prix was a tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, the Grand Prix tournaments.-Schedule:The table below shows the 1980 Volvo Grand Prix schedule ....
- 1981 Volvo Grand Prix1981 Volvo Grand PrixThe 1981 Volvo Grand Prix was the only tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, the Grand Prix tournaments.-Schedule:The table below shows the 1981 Volvo Grand Prix schedule ....
- 1982 Volvo Grand Prix1982 Volvo Grand PrixThe 1982 Volvo Grand Prix was a tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, the Grand Prix tournaments.-Schedule:The table below shows the 1982 Volvo Grand Prix schedule ....
- 1983 Volvo Grand Prix1983 Volvo Grand PrixThe 1983 Volvo Grand Prix was a tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, the Grand Prix tournaments.-Schedule:The table below shows the 1983 Volvo Grand Prix schedule ....
- 1984 Volvo Grand Prix1984 Volvo Grand PrixThe 1984 Volvo Grand Prix was a tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, four World Championship Tennis tournaments and the Grand Prix tournaments.-Schedule:...
- 1985 Nabisco Grand Prix1985 Nabisco Grand PrixThe 1985 Nabisco Grand Prix was a tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, three World Championship Tennis tournaments and the Grand Prix tournaments.-Schedule:...
- 1986 Nabisco Grand Prix1986 Nabisco Grand PrixThe 1986 Nabisco Grand Prix was the only tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, three World Championship Tennis tournaments and the Grand Prix tournaments.-Key:-January:-February:-March:-April:-May:...
- 1987 Nabisco Grand Prix1987 Nabisco Grand PrixThe 1987 Nabisco Grand Prix was the only tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, three World Championship Tennis tournaments and the Grand Prix tournaments.-Schedule:...
- 1988 Nabisco Grand Prix1988 Nabisco Grand PrixThe 1988 Nabisco Grand Prix was the only tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, three World Championship Tennis tournaments and the Grand Prix tournaments.-Schedule:...
- 1989 Nabisco Grand Prix1989 Nabisco Grand PrixThe 1989 Nabisco Grand Prix was the only tennis circuit for male players held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, one World Championship Tennis tournament and the Grand Prix tournaments.-Schedule:...
Formation of the ATP Tour
In 1990 the Association of Tennis ProfessionalsAssociation of Tennis Professionals
The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
, led by Hamilton Jordan
Hamilton Jordan
William Hamilton McWhorter Jordan was Chief of Staff to President of the United States Jimmy Carter.-Early life:...
, replaced the Men's Tennis Council as the sole governing body of men's professional tennis and the ATP Tour was born. The nine most prestigious Grand Prix tournaments became known as the Championship Series Single Week from 1990-1992. In 1993 Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
then began to sponsor these series of events named as the Super 9 until 1999. In 2000 they became known as the Tennis Masters Series until 2004, then the ATP Masters Series until 2009. Now called the ATP World Tour Masters 1000
ATP World Tour Masters 1000
The ATP World Tour Masters 1000 is a series of nine tennis tournaments that are part of the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, held annually throughout the year in Europe, North America and Asia...
. Grand Prix tournaments below this level were originally called the Super Series, were retained by the ATP and renamed as the Championship Series. All remaining GP Tour events became part of the World Series
ATP International Series
The International Series was a series of professional tennis tournaments held internationally as part of the ATP Tour until 2008....
.
Grand Prix Season End Rankings (Top 10) : 1970-1989
NBNota Bene
Nota bene is an Italian and Latin phrase meaning "note well". The phrase first appeared in writing circa 1721.Often abbreviated as "N. B.", nota bene comes from the Latin roots notāre and bene . It is in the singular imperative mood, instructing one individual to note well the matter at hand...
: All rankings were calculated using the Grand Prix points system and do not necessarily reflect the ATP rankings at the same time.
1970
- 1. Cliff RicheyCliff RicheyCliff Richey played amateur and professional tennis in the 1960s and 1970s. He is the brother of fellow player Nancy Richey....
- 2. Arthur AsheArthur AsheArthur Robert Ashe, Jr. was a professional tennis player, born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. During his career, he won three Grand Slam titles, putting him among the best ever from the United States...
- 3. Ken RosewallKen RosewallKenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam...
- 4. Rod LaverRod LaverRodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970...
- 5. Stan SmithStan SmithStanley Roger "Stan" Smith is a former American tennis player and two time Grand Slam singles champion who also, with his partner Bob Lutz, formed one of the most successful doubles teams of all time. Together, they won many major titles all over the world...
- 6. Željko FranulovićŽeljko FranulovicŽeljko Franulović is a former Croatian tennis player who competed for Yugoslavia, best remembered for reaching the final of the French Open in 1970 where he lost against Czech Jan Kodeš in straight sets...
- 7. John NewcombeJohn NewcombeJohn David Newcombe, AO, OBE is a former World No. 1 tennis player.-Biography:He won seven Grand Slam singles titles, A natural athlete, Newcombe played several sports as a boy until devoting himself to tennis. He was the Australian junior champion in 1961, 1962, and 1963 and was a member of...
- 8. Jan KodešJan KodešJan Kodeš is a right-handed Czech former tennis player who won three Grand Slam events in the early-1970s.Kodeš's greatest success was on the clay courts of the French Open. He won the title there in 1970, beating Željko Franulović in the final, and in 1971, defeating Ilie Năstase in the final...
- 9. Tony RocheTony RocheAnthony "Tony" Dalton Roche is a former professional Australian tennis player, native of Tarcutta. He played junior tennis in the New South Wales regional city of Wagga Wagga. He won one Grand Slam singles title and twelve Grand Slam doubles titles. He is also very well known for coaching...
- 10. Bob CarmichaelBob CarmichaelBob "Nails" Carmichael was an Australian tennis player and coach.As a player, Carmichael won 1 singles title and 12 doubles titles, and achieved a top 10 ranking in 1970. Partnering Allan Stone, he reached the doubles final of the 1974 Australian Open...
1971
- 1. Stan Smith
- 2. Ilie NăstaseIlie NastaseIlie Nastase is a Romanian former professional tennis player, one of the world's top players of the 1970s. Năstase was the World No. 1 tennis player between 1973 and 1974 . He is one of the five players in history to win more than 100 ATP professional titles . He was inducted into the...
- 3. Željko Franulović
- 4. Jan Kodeš
- 5. Cliff Richey
- 6. John Newcombe
- 7. Pierre BarthèsPierre BarthesPierre Barthès is a French retired professional tour tennis player.-Career:Born in Béziers, Barthès was one of the Handsome Eight and reached a career high singles ATP ranking in 1974 of World No. 54. Before the creation of the ATP ranking, he was one of the best twenty players in 1971. He was...
- 8. Ken Rosewall
- 9. Clark GraebnerClark GraebnerClark Graebner , is a retired American professional tennis player, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, who won a number of championships. He graduated from Northwestern University, where he joined the Delta Upsilon fraternity. Graebner's deceased wife, Carole, was also a successful touring tennis...
- 10. Tom GormanTom Gorman (tennis)Tom Gorman is an American tennis player. He attended Seattle Preparatory School and was the Washington State high school tennis champion three years in a row. Gorman attended and graduated from Seattle University and was a two time All-American. He played in professional tour events in the 1960s,...
1972
- 1. Ilie Năstase
- 2. Stan Smith
- 3. Manuel OrantesManuel OrantesManuel Orantes Corral was a tennis champion in the 1970s and 1980s. He won the US Open in 1975, beating defending champion Jimmy Connors in the final.-Career:...
- 4. Jan Kodeš
- 5. Andrés GimenoAndrés GimenoAndrés Gimeno Tolaguera is a retired Spanish tennis player. He major achievement came in 1972, when he won the French Open....
- 6. Bob HewittBob HewittRobert "Bob" Anthony John Hewitt is a former professional male tennis player from Australia...
- 7. Jimmy ConnorsJimmy ConnorsJames Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player....
- 8. Tom Gorman
- 9. Andrew PattisonAndrew Pattison----Andrew Pattison is a former South African-born Rhodesian and later Zimbabwean right-handed tennis player. His highest ever ranking was World No. 24, which he reached on 24 September 1974. Pattison won four singles tournaments, and seven doubles tournaments.Pattison became a naturalized...
- 10. Patrick ProisyPatrick ProisyPatrick Proisy is a French former professional tennis player best remembered for reaching the finals of the French Open in 1972 losing against Spaniard Andrés Gimeno in four sets. He added to that one more final and a single title in Hilversum, 1977.-Runner-ups :-References:...
1973
- 1. Ilie Nästase
- 2. John Newcombe
- 3. Tom OkkerTom OkkerThomas S. Okker is a former Dutch tennis player. He was ranked among the world's top 10 singles players for seven consecutive years, 1968–74, reaching a career high of world # 3 in 1969. He also was ranked World # 1 in doubles in 1969.-Tennis career:Okker was the Dutch champion from 1964 through...
- 4. Jimmy Connors
- 5. Manuel Orantes
- 6. Jan Kodeš
- 7. Stan Smith
- 8. Tom Gorman
- 9. Björn BorgBjörn BorgBjörn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles...
- 10. Arthur Ashe
1974
- 1. Guillermo VilasGuillermo VilasGuillermo Apolinario Vilas is a retired and former World No. 2 professional tennis player from Argentina. He was the second Latin-American to win a Grand Slam tournament.-Career:...
- 2. Jimmy Connors
- 3. Manuel Orantes
- 4. Björn Borg
- 5. Raúl RamírezRaúl RamírezRaúl Ramírez is a retired Mexican professional tennis player. He was active during the 1970s and 1980s, and is regarded as one of the great all-around players of the modern era. Ramírez was also the first player to finish first in both singles and doubles Grand Prix point standings, accomplishing...
- 6. Ilie Năstase
- 7. Onny ParunOnny ParunOnny Parun is a former tennis player of Croatian descent from New Zealand, who was among the world's top 20 for five years and in 1971 and 1972 he reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. He made the final of the Australian Open in 1973, losing to John Newcombe in four sets, and was a U.S...
- 8. Harold SolomonHarold SolomonHarold Solomon was an American professional tennis player during the 1970s and 1980s. He achieved a career-high ranking of No. 5 in the world in 1980.- Tennis career :...
- 9. Arthur Ashe
- 10. Stan Smith
1975
- 1. Guillermo Vilas
- 2. Manuel Orantes
- 3. Björn Borg
- 4. Arthur Ashe
- 5. Ilie Năstase
- 6. Jimmy Connors
- 7. Raúl Ramírez
- 8. Adriano PanattaAdriano PanattaAdriano Panatta is a former professional tennis player from Italy. He is best remembered for winning the French Open in 1976, and for being the only player to ever defeat Björn Borg at Roland Garros, which he did on two occasions.-Career:...
- 9. Harold Solomon
- 10. Eddie DibbsEddie DibbsEddie Dibbs is a retired American tennis player. He attained a career high ranking of World No. 5 in July 1978.-Wins :-Runner-ups :-Grand Slam singles tournament timeline:...
1976
- 1. Raúl Ramírez
- 2. Manuel Orantes
- 3. Jimmy Connors
- 4. Eddie Dibbs
- 5. Harold Solomon
- 6. Guillermo Vilas
- 7. Roscoe TannerRoscoe TannerRoscoe Tanner is an American former professional tennis player, who turned pro in 1972 and reached a career high world singles ranking of World No...
- 8. Wojciech FibakWojciech FibakWojciech Fibak or shorter Wojtek Fibak is a former Polish tennis player best known for his doubles success with Tom Okker and Kim Warwick....
- 9. Brian GottfriedBrian GottfriedBrian Edward Gottfried is a retired tennis player from the United States who won 25 singles titles and 54 doubles titles during his professional career. The right-hander reached his highest ranking on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour on June 19, 1977, when he became World No....
- 10. Björn Borg
1977
- 1. Guillermo Vilas
- 2. Brian Gottfried
- 3. Björn Borg
- 4. Manuel Orantes
- 5. Eddie Dibbs
- 6. Roscoe Tanner
- 7. Raúl Ramírez
- 8. Jimmy Connors
- 9. Vitas GerulaitisVitas GerulaitisVytautas Kevin Gerulaitis was a Lithuanian–American professional tennis player. He is known for winning the men's singles title at one of the two Australian Open tournaments held in 1977. Gerulaitis won the tournament held in December, while Roscoe Tanner won the earlier January tournament...
- 10. Harold Solomon
1978
- 1. Jimmy Connors
- 2. Björn Borg
- 3. Eddie Dibbs
- 4. Raúl Ramirez
- 5. Harold Solomon
- 6. John McEnroeJohn McEnroeJohn Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title...
- 7. Guillermo Vilas
- 8. Brian Gottfried
- 9. Corrado BarazzuttiCorrado BarazzuttiCorrado Barazzutti is an Italian former tennis player.Barazzutti gained fame in 1971 by winning the Orange Bowl. The previous year he had been called to the Italy Davis Cup team, for which he would play a total of 44 matches...
- 10. Arthur Ashe
1979
- 1. John McEnroe
- 2. Björn Borg
- 3. Jimmy Connors
- 4. Guillermo Vilas
- 5. Vitas Gerulaitis
- 6. Roscoe Tanner
- 7. José HiguerasJosé HiguerasJosé Higueras is a tennis coach and former professional tennis player from Spain.Between 1976 and 1984, Higueras won 16 top-level singles titles. A semi-finalist at the French Open in 1982 and 1983, he reached the World No. 6 singles ranking in 1983...
- 8. Harold Solomon
- 9. Eddie Dibbs
- 10. Víctor PecciVíctor PecciVíctor Pecci is a former professional Paraguayan tennis player. Pecci was born in Asunción.Pecci was ranked as high as World No. 9 in singles in 1980 and World No. 31 in doubles in 1984. Pecci is famous for reaching the 1979 French Open final...
1980
- 1. John McEnroe
- 2. Ivan LendlIvan LendlIvan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis...
- 3. Jimmy Connors
- 4. Björn Borg
- 5. Gene MayerGene MayerGene Mayer is a former tennis player from the United States who won fourteen singles titles during his career.Mayer was born in Flushing, Queens, New York. He grew up in Wayne, New Jersey, and played tennis at Wayne Valley High School, where he went unbeaten in his two years on the tennis team...
- 6. Harold Solomon
- 7. Guillermo Vilas
- 8. José Luis ClercJosé Luis ClercJosé Luis Clerc is a former Argentine professional tennis player, and one of the most important Argentine players in history....
- 9. Eliot TeltscherEliot TeltscherEliot Teltscher is a retired professional American tennis player.-Early years:Teltscher's mother was born in Israel; his father emigrated there during the Holocaust, and joined the British army...
- 10. Brian TeacherBrian TeacherBrian David Teacher is a 6' 3" right handed American former professional male tennis player. He reached a career-high ranking World No. 7 in 1981....
1981
- 1. Ivan Lendl
- 2. John McEnroe
- 3. Jimmy Connors
- 4. José Luis Clerc
- 5. Guillermo Vilas
- 6. Björn Borg
- 7. Roscoe Tanner
- 8. Eliot Teltscher
- 9. Vitas Gerulaitis
- 10. Yannick NoahYannick NoahYannick Noah is a former professional tennis player from France. He is best remembered for being the last French man to win the French Open in 1983, and as a highly-successful captain of France's Davis Cup and Fed Cup teams...
1982
- 1. Jimmy Connors
- 2. Guillermo Vilas
- 3. Ivan Lendl
- 4. John McEnroe
- 5. Mats WilanderMats WilanderMats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title...
- 6. Vitas Gerulaitis
- 7. José Higueras
- 8. Johan KriekJohan KriekJohan Kriek is a South African American professional male tennis player and founder of the Global Water Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to delivering clean water to the world's neediest communities. Kriek has won two Australian Opens and has reached the semi-finals at the French...
- 9. Andrés GómezAndrés GómezAndrés Gómez Santos is a former professional tennis player from Ecuador. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at the French Open in 1990.-Career:...
- 10. Steve DentonSteve DentonSteve Denton is a former professional tennis player for the ATP Tour. He is currently the head men's tennis coach at Texas A&M University....
1983
- 1. Mats Wilander
- 2. Ivan Lendl
- 3. John McEnroe
- 4. Jimmy Connors
- 5. Yannick Noah
- 6. Jimmy AriasJimmy AriasJames Arias is a former tennis touring professional player from the United States, a bronze medallist.From Grand Island, near Buffalo, New York, Arias's peak year was 1983, when as a 19 year-old he finished the year ranked World No. 6, having reached the U.S...
- 7. José Higueras
- 8. Andrés Gómez
- 9. José Luis Clerc
- 10. Eliot Teltscher
1984
- 1. John McEnroe
- 2. Jimmy Connors
- 3. Ivan Lendl
- 4. Mats Wilander
- 5. Andrés Gómez
- 6. Joakim NyströmJoakim NyströmJoakim "Jocke" Nyström is a former top ten ranked tennis player from Sweden who won thirteen singles titles during his professional career. The right-hander reached his highest singles ranking on the ATP Tour on 31 March 1986, when he was ranked World No. 7 and was also ranked as high as World No...
- 7. Henrik SundströmHenrik SundströmHenrik Sundström is a former professional male tennis player from Sweden. He is nicknamed Henke. Sundström was at his best on clay and achieved his strongest results on this surface, with his solid and heavy topspin groundstrokes from the baseline.- Tennis career :Sundström turned professional in...
- 8. Eliot Teltscher
- 9. Anders JärrydAnders JärrydAnders Per Järryd is a former professional tennis player from Sweden. During his career he won eight Grand Slam doubles titles , reached the World No. 1 doubles ranking, and achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 5.Järryd was born in Lidköping, Västra Götaland...
- 10. Tomáš ŠmídTomáš ŠmídTomáš Šmíd is a former tennis player from Czechoslovakia, who won nine singles titles during his career. In doubles, he won fifty-four titles and was the world's highest-ranking doubles player from December 17, 1984, to August 11, 1985. The right-hander reached his highest singles ATP ranking on...
1985
- 1. Ivan Lendl
- 2. John McEnroe
- 3. Mats Wilander
- 4. Stefan EdbergStefan EdbergStefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix...
- 5. Boris BeckerBoris BeckerBoris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17...
- 6. Jimmy Connors
- 7. Yannick Noah
- 8. Anders Järryd
- 9. Johan Kriek
- 10. Joakim Nyström
1986
- 1. Ivan Lendl
- 2. Boris Becker
- 3. Stefan Edberg
- 4. Joakim Nyström
- 5. Yannick Noah
- 6. Mats Wilander
- 7. Henri LeconteHenri LeconteHenri Leconte is a former French professional tennis player. He reached the men's singles final at the French Open in 1988, won the French Open men's doubles title in 1984, and helped France win the Davis Cup in 1991.-Biography and career:...
- 8. Andrés Gómez
- 9. Jimmy Connors
- 10. Miloslav MečířMiloslav MecírMiloslav Mečíř is a former professional tennis player from Slovakia. He won the men's singles gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Games where he represented Czechoslovakia and played in two Grand Slam singles finals...
1987
- 1. Ivan Lendl
- 2. Stefan Edberg
- 3. Mats Wilander
- 4. Miloslav Mečíř
- 5. Boris Becker
- 6. Jimmy Connors
- 7. Pat CashPat CashPatrick Hart "Pat" Cash is a retired Australian professional tennis player who won the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1987.-Early career:...
- 8. Brad GilbertBrad GilbertBrad Gilbert , is an American tennis coach, a television tennis commentator, an author and former professional tennis player. He was born in Oakland, California and graduated from Piedmont High School ....
- 9. Tim MayotteTim MayotteTimothy "Tim" Mayotte is a former professional tennis player from the United States.- Career :...
- 10. Andrés Gómez
1988
- 1. Mats Wilander
- 2. Boris Becker
- 3. Stefan Edberg
- 4. Andre AgassiAndre AgassiAndre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
- 5. Ivan Lendl
- 6. Henri Leconte
- 7. Jimmy Connors
- 8. Tim Mayotte
- 9. Jakob HlasekJakob HlasekJakob Hlasek is a former professional tennis player from Switzerland.-Career:The major highlights of Hlasek's career came in 1992. He won the French Open men's doubles title that year...
- 10. Kent CarlssonKent CarlssonKent Carlsson is a former tennis player from Sweden.- Playing career :Carlsson was a successful junior winning the Kalle Anka Cup, which is a Swedish junior tournament through the under 11, under 13s twice and under 15. He still holds the record for the most titles wins at 4 in front of Thomas...
1989 (last year)
- 1. Ivan Lendl
- 2. Boris Becker
- 3. Stefan Edberg
- 4. Brad Gilbert
- 5. John McEnroe
- 6. Michael ChangMichael ChangMichael Te-Pei Chang is a former American professional tennis player. He is best remembered for becoming the youngest-ever male player to win a Grand Slam singles title when he won the French Open in 1989 at the age of 17....
- 7. Andre Agassi
- 8. Aaron KricksteinAaron KricksteinAaron Krickstein , nicknamed "Marathon Man", is a former American professional tennis player, who competed on the ATP Tour from 1983 to 1996. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he currently competes on the Outback Champions Series Over-30 tour.Krickstein reached his career high ATP ranking of World No....
- 9. Alberto ManciniAlberto ManciniAlberto César Mancini is a former professional tennis player from Argentina. He turned professional in 1987. In 1988, he won his first top-level singles title at Bologna, and his first tour doubles title at St. Vincent....
- 10. Jay BergerJay BergerJay Berger is a former professional tennis player from the United States. He won three singles and one doubles title on the ATP Tour and reached his career-high singles ranking of world # 7 in April 1990....
See also
- World Championship TennisWorld Championship TennisWorld Championship Tennis was a tour for professional male tennis players established in 1968 and lasted until the emergence of the ATP Tour in 1990...
- Association of Tennis ProfessionalsAssociation of Tennis ProfessionalsThe Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
- International Tennis FederationInternational Tennis FederationThe International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913...
Further reading
- Bud CollinsBud Collins-External links:*** 2001 interview with Collins*...
, History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book, New Chapter Press, USA, 2nd Edition, 2010. ISBN 10-0942257707. Accessed 10/11/2010.