The 1970 season of the World Championship Tennis (WCT) circuit was one of the two rival professional male tennis circuits of 1970. It was organized by World Championship Tennis (WCT). [1]
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Duration | 21 January 1970 – 18 October 1970 |
| Edition | 3rd |
| Tournaments | 17 |
| Achievements (singles) | |
| Most tournament titles |  Rod Laver (6) |
| Most tournament finals | Rod Laver (9) |
| Prize money leader | Rod Laver ($201,453) |
← 1969 1971 → | |
| Date | Tournament | Location | Draw | Prize Money | Winner | Finalist | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 January 1970 | Tennis Champions Classic [lower-alpha 1] | Various cities | $200,000 | Rod Laver | Ken Rosewall | 6–4, 6–3, 6–3 | |
| 9 February 1970 | U.S. Pro Indoor | Philadelphia, PA, U.S. | 32 | $62,500 | Rod Laver | Tony Roche | 6–3, 8–6, 6–2 |
| 14 February 1970 | Hollywood Tennis Classic [6] | Hollywood, Florida, U.S. | 8S | Ken Rosewall |  Andrés Gimeno | 3–6, 6–2, 3–6, 7–6, 6–3 | |
| 18 February 1970 | Dallas Morning News Tennis Classic | Dallas, Texas, U.S. | $25,000 | Andrés Gimeno | Roy Emerson | 6–2, 6–3, 6–2 | |
| 22 February 1970 | South Texas Pro Championships | Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S. | Ken Rosewall | John Newcombe | 6–2, 6–0 | ||
| 1 March 1970 | Los Angeles Tennis Classic | Los Angeles, U.S. |  Dennis Ralston | Rod Laver | 6–4, 4–6, 6–1 | ||
| 11 March 1970 | World Cup Boston | Boston, U.S. | Australia | USA | 5–2 | ||
| 16 March 1970 | Dunlop-Slazenger International Open | Sydney, Australia | 32S | $28,000 | Rod Laver | Ken Rosewall | 3–6, 6–2, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3 |
| 10 May 1970 | Atlanta Tennis Classic | Atlanta, U.S. | Hard | $25,000 |  Tom Okker | Dennis Ralston | 6–4, 10–8, 6–2 |
| 17 May 1970 | Howard Hughes Invitational | Las Vegas, U.S. | $50,000 | Pancho Gonzales | Rod Laver | 6–1, 7–5, 5–7, 6–3 | |
| 1 June 1970 | Rawlings Tennis Classic [7] | St. Louis, U.S. | 32S | $30,000 | Rod Laver | Ken Rosewall | 6–1, 6–4 |
| 7 June 1970 | Moroccan Pro Championships [8] | Casablanca, Morocco | 16S | John Newcombe | Andrés Gimeno | 6–4, 6–4, 6–4 | |
| 2 August 1970 | Louisville Tennis Classic [9] | Louisville, U.S. | 16S | $25,000 | Rod Laver | John Newcombe | 6–3, 6–3 |
| 23 August 1970 | National Invitation Championships | Fort Worth, U.S. | Rod Laver | Roy Emerson | 6–3, 7–5 | ||
| 4 October 1970 | Rothmans Vancouver International | Vancouver, BC, Canada | $40,000 | Rod Laver | Roy Emerson | 6–2, 6–1, 6–2 | |
| 11 October 1970 | Midland Pro Invitational | Midland, U.S. |  Roger Taylor | John Newcombe | 2–6, 7–6, 6–1 | ||
| 18 October 1970 | Tucson Dunlop Classic | Tucson, U.S. | Marty Riessen | Roy Emerson | 6–1, 6–4 |
| Player | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| Rod Laver | $201,453 [lower-alpha 2] [10] |
| Ken Rosewall | $140,455 |
| Roy Emerson | $96,845 |
| John Newcombe | $78,251 |
| Pancho Gonzales | $77,365 |
| Tony Roche | $67,232 |
| Tom Okker | $61,797 |
| Fred Stolle | $43,448 |
| Roger Taylor | $42,101 |
| Andrés Gimeno | $41,375 |
Kenneth Robert Rosewall is an Australian former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player. He won a record 23 Majors in singles, including eight Grand Slam singles titles and, before the Open Era, a record 15 Pro Slam titles. Rosewall also won a record 24 major men's doubles titles, with nine Grand Slam titles and 15 Pro Slam men's doubles titles. Rosewall had a renowned backhand and enjoyed a long career at the highest levels from the early 1950s to the early 1970s. Rosewall was ranked as the world No. 1 tennis player by multiple sources from 1961 to 1964, multiple sources in 1970 and Rino Tommasi in 1971 and 1972. Rosewall was first ranked in the top 20 in 1952 and last ranked in the top 20 in 1977. Rosewall is the only player to have simultaneously held Pro Grand Slam titles on three different surfaces (1962–1963). At the 1971 Australian Open, he became the first man during the Open Era to win a Grand Slam tournament without dropping a set. Rosewall won world professional championship tours in 1963, 1964, and the WCT titles in 1971 and 1972. A natural left-hander, Rosewall was taught by his father to play right-handed. He developed a powerful, effective backhand but never had anything more than an accurate but relatively soft serve. He was 1.70 m tall, weighed 67 kg (148 lb) and sarcastically was nicknamed "Muscles" by his fellow-players because of his lack of them. He was, however, fast, agile, and tireless, with a deadly volley. Now a father of two and grandfather of five, Rosewall lives in northern Sydney.
The ILTF Grand Prix tennis circuit was a professional tennis tour for male players that existed from 1970 to 1989. The Grand Prix and World Championship Tennis (WCT) were the two predecessors to the current tour for male players, the ATP Tour, with the Grand Prix being more prominent.
World Championship Tennis (WCT) was a tour for professional male tennis players established in 1968 and lasted until the emergence of the ATP Tour in 1990. A number of tennis tournaments around the world were affiliated with WCT and players were ranked in a special WCT ranking according to their results in those tournaments.
The WCT Finals was a men's tennis tournament that served as the season-ending championship for the World Championship Tennis circuit. From 1971–1989 the event was held annually in Texas on indoor carpet courts. The 1971 quarterfinals and semifinals were played in Houston, and final played at Moody Coliseum in Dallas. The 1972–1979 editions were played at Moody Coliseum, and the 1980–1989 tournaments at Reunion Arena in Dallas. The 1974 edition was the first tennis tournament to experiment with electronic line calling. The first edition of the WCT Finals was in November 1971, just a few days before the equivalent event of the rival Grand Prix circuit. But the second edition occurred just six months later to accommodate NBC's new tennis coverage; the tournament final between Ken Rosewall and Rod Laver is credited as "the match that made tennis in the United States" because its unprecedented domestic television audience of 23 million fueled a massive increase in the sport's popularity. The ensuing editions were also held in the spring. John McEnroe had the most overall success, winning a record five titles. Because of the popularity of the 1972 final, another edition, less important and with half the prize money, was held in November in Rome. The prize money offered to the winner, Arthur Ashe, was US$25,000 compared to the US$50,000 won by Ken Rosewall for the main edition in May. A decade later there were three editions of the WCT Finals; the most important one in Dallas, and the others in autumn in Naples, Italy, and in winter in Detroit. The tournament was sponsored by Buick between 1985 and 1986, a brand of General Motors, and was called the "Buick WCT Finals".
The 1972 U.S. Professional Indoor was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts. It was played at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States that was part of the 1972 World Championship Tennis circuit. It was the fifth edition of the tournament and was held from February 8 through February 13, 1972. Total attendance for the tournament was 57,282. First-seeded Rod Laver won the singles title, his third at the event after 1969 and 1970.
The 1980 U.S. Pro Indoor was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts that was part of World Championship Tennis (WCT) category of tournaments of the 1980 Volvo Grand Prix circuit. It was played at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States and was held from January 21 through January 27, 1980. First-seeded Jimmy Connors won the singles title after a final that lasted three hours and 30 minutes and earned $40,000 first-prize money. It was his fourth singles title at the tournament which equalled the record held by Rod Laver.
The 1971 World Championship Tennis Finals was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor Sportface carpet courts. It was the first edition of the WCT Finals and the concluding event of the 1971 World Championship Tennis circuit. The eight top players in points qualified for the event. The quarterfinals and semifinals were played at the Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston, Texas from November 19 through November 21 while the final, watched by 8,200 spectators, was played at the Memorial Auditorium in Dallas, Texas, United States on November 26. Ken Rosewall win the event and the accompanying $50,000 first-prize money. Neil Armstrong presented the prizes.
The 1972 World Championship Tennis Finals was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts. It was the 2nd edition of the WCT Finals and was the season-ending tournament of the 1972 World Championship Tennis circuit. The top eight points winners of the circuit qualified for the tournament which was played at the Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas in the United States and ran from May 8 through May 14, 1972. Ken Rosewall won the singles title and the $50,000 first prize. The final was broadcast live in the United States by NBC and watched by an estimated 21.3 million viewers. In his book, The Education of a Tennis Player, finalist Rod Laver commented "I think if one match can be said to have made tennis in the United States, this was it.".
The 1981 World Championship Tennis Finals was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts. It was the 11th edition of the WCT Finals and was part of the 1981 Volvo Grand Prix. The tournament was played at the Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas in the United States and was held from April 27 through May 3, 1981. The winners of the eight WCT tournaments that were part of the 1981 Grand Prix circuit qualified for the tournament augmented by the next best performers in the WCT points standings. Guillermo Vilas qualified by winning the last tournament held just before the WCT Finals, the River Oaks Tournament in Houston, but was unavailable to play. Jimmy Connors withdrew before the tournament due to gastroenteritis and Yannick Noah could not participate due to a shoulder injury. They were replaced by Sandy Mayer and Sam Giammalva respectively. First-seeded John McEnroe won the title and $100,000 prize money.
The 1971 Redwood Bank Pacific Coast Open was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts at the Berkeley Tennis Club in Berkeley, California in the United States. The event was part of both the 1971 Grand Prix and World Championship Tennis circuit. It was the 83rd edition of the tournament and ran from September 27 through October 3, 1971. First-seeded Rod Laver won the singles title and earned $10,000 first-prize money.
The 1974 Tokyo WCT, also known by its sponsored name Kawasaki Tennis Classic, was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts at the National Tennis Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. The event was part of the Green Group of the 1974 World Championship Tennis circuit. It was the second edition of the tournament and was held from 8 April through 14 April 1974. Rod Laver won the singles title and the accompanying $10,000 first prize money.
The 1970 First National Tennis Classic, also known as the Louisville Open, was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts at the Louisville Tennis Center in Louisville, Kentucky in the United States. It was the inaugural edition of the tournament and was held from July 29 through August 3, 1970. The tournament was part of both the 1970 Grand Prix tennis circuit, categorized in Class 2, as well as the 1970 World Championship Tennis season and had total prize money of $25,000. The singles final was won by Rod Laver who earned $5,000 first-prize money as well as eight ranking points.
The 1975 La Costa WCT, also known as the Michelob Classic, was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts in La Costa, California in the United States. The tournament was part of Blue Group of the 1975 World Championship Tennis circuit. It was the third edition of the event and was held from February 17 through February 23, 1975. Rod Laver won the singles title.
The 1971 First National Tennis Classic, also known as the Louisville WCT, was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts at the Louisville Tennis Center in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. It was the second edition of the tournament and was held from July 19 through July 25, 1971. The tournament was part of the 1971 World Championship Tennis circuit and offered total prize money of $50,000. The singles final was won by Tom Okker who earned $10,000 first-prize money.
The 1973 Fidelity Tournament, also known as the Richmond WCT, was a men's professional tennis tournament that was part of the Group A of the 1973 World Championship Tennis circuit. It was held on indoor carpet courts at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia in the United States. It was the eighth edition of the tournament and was held from January 30 through February 4, 1973. First-seeded Rod Laver won his second consecutive singles title at the event and earned $10,000 first-prize money.
The 1972 Fidelity WCT Tournament, also known as the Richmond WCT, was a men's professional tennis tournament that was part of the Group A of the 1972 World Championship Tennis circuit. It was held on indoor carpet courts at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia in the United States. It was the seventh edition of the tournament and was held from February 2 through February 6, 1972. First-seeded Rod Laver won the singles title and earned $10,000 first-prize money.
The 1971 Rothmans International Vancouver, also known as the Vancouver WCT, was a men's professional tennis tournament that was part of the 1971 World Championship Tennis circuit. It was held on indoor carpet courts at the PNE Agrodome in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada. It was the second edition of the tournament and was held from 3 October through 11 October 1971. Fourth-seeded Ken Rosewall won the singles title and earned $10,000 first-prize money.
The 1970 Rothmans International Vancouver, also known as the Vancouver WCT, was a men's professional tennis tournament that was part of the 1970 World Championship Tennis circuit. It was held on indoor carpet courts at the PNE Agrodome in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada. It was the inaugural edition of the tournament and was held from 29 September through 3 October 1970. Rod Laver won the singles title and earned $10,000 first-prize money.
The 1971 Rothmans International Quebec, also known as the Quebec International Open or Quebec WCT, was a men's professional tennis tournament that was part of the 1971 World Championship Tennis circuit. It was held on indoor carpet courts at Laval University in Quebec City, Quebec in Canada. It was the inaugural edition of the tournament and was held from 26 July through 1 August 1971. Tom Okker won the singles title and earned $10,000 first-prize money.
The 1970 Rawlings Tennis Classic, also known as the St. Louis WCT, was a men's professional tennis tournament that was part of the 1970 World Championship Tennis circuit. It was held on outdoor hard courts at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri in the United States. It was the inaugural edition of the tournament and was scheduled from May 25 through June 1, 1970 but both finals were delayed due to a power outage on the day before the finals and rain on the day of the finals. The singles finalists then had to travel to New York to compete in the Tennis Champions Classic before returning. Due to persistent bad weather the singles final was played indoor at the Washington University Field House on June 4, 1970. First-seeded Rod Laver won the singles title and earned $8,000 first-prize money. The doubles finalists Andrés Gimeno and John Newcombe had to travel to Casablanca, Morocco for the Moroccan Pro Championships and their final was rescheduled and played on August 24, 1970. This was followed by a Rawlings Challenge Cup match between tournament winner Rod Laver and Wimbledon champion John Newcombe which was won by Laver 6–3, 8–6.