Details | |
---|---|
Duration | 1978–1989 |
Achievements (singles) | |
Most tournament titles | Ivan Lendl (29) |
Most tournament finals | Ivan Lendl (44) |
The Grand Prix Super Series [1] of men's tennis tournaments was part of the Grand Prix and World Championship Tennis tours between 1978 and 1989, sometimes also referred to as the Super Grand Prix. [2] [3] [4] They were held annually throughout the year in Europe, North America, Africa and Asia. These tournaments were the most prestigious and highest level events of the Grand Prix Tour after the majors and year-end championships. [5] [6] [7] [8]
When the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) became the sole governing body of men's tennis in 1990, all of the surviving tournaments of the Grand Prix were absorbed into the new ATP Tour. [9] The nine top events existing at that time are now known as ATP Tour Masters 1000 tournaments.
The Grand Prix tennis circuit was conceived from idea put forward by former World No. 1 player Jack Kramer, turned promoter in 1968. He proposed "a series of tournaments with a money bonus pool that would be split up on the basis of a cumulative point system." and to "encourage players to compete regularly in the series and qualify for a special championship tournament at the end of the tour season". [10] This system formed the basis of the men's professional game. The WCT founded by Lamar Hunt and David Dixon (1968) was merged into the Grand Prix Tour in 1978. The WCT withdrew from 1982 to 1984, and sued the Men's Tennis Council who organized the men's tennis tour. [11] A settlement resulted in WCT's reincorporation into the Grand Prix in 1985. After the Majors and Year-end Championships, these events were the highest in-terms of status at the time. [5] [12]
The 1978 Grand Prix circuit was the ninth edition of the Grand Prix circuit and consisted of 84 tournaments which were held from January through December. The tournaments were graded in three main categories: 1) Grand Slam events 2) Super Series tournaments with prize money of at least $175,000 and 3) tournaments with prize money between $50,000 and $175,000. Both latter categories were subdivided in four prize money categories which determined the number of ranking points available. In addition the season-ending Masters tournament carried prize money of $400,000. There were 32 Super Series tournaments, including 8 WCT tournaments. [13] [14]
The 1979 Grand Prix circuit was the tenth edition of the Grand Prix circuit and consisted of 91 tournaments which were held from January through December. The tournaments were graded in one of twelve categories which determined the number of ranking points available: Grand Slam events, comprising four Grand Slam tournaments, Grand Prix Masters, Super Series.
The 1980 Grand Prix circuit was the eleventh edition of the Grand Prix circuit and consisted of 83 tournaments which were held from January 80 through January 81. The tournaments were graded in one of twelve categories which determined the number of ranking points available: Grand Slam events, comprising four Grand Slam tournaments, Grand Prix Masters, Super Series, Regular Series.
The 1981 Grand Prix circuit was the twelfth edition of the Grand Prix circuit and consisted of 89 tournaments which were held from January 1981 through January 1982. The tournaments were graded in one of twelve categories which determined the number of ranking points available: Grand Slam events, comprising four Grand Slam tournaments, Grand Prix Masters, Super Series, Regular Series. The Super Series consisted of 28 tournaments with prize money of at least $175,000 (excluding Grand Slams).
The 1982 Grand Prix circuit was the thirteenth edition of the Grand Prix circuit and consisted of 70 tournaments which were held from January 82 through January 83. The tournaments were graded in one of twelve categories which determined the number of ranking points available: Grand Slam events, comprising four Grand Slam tournaments, Grand Prix Masters, Super Series, Regular Series. The Super Series consisted of 29 tournaments. [18]
The 1983 Grand Prix circuit was the fourteenth edition of the Grand Prix circuit and consisted of 70 tournaments which were held from January 83 through January 84. The tournaments were graded in one of twelve categories which determined the number of ranking points available: Grand Slam events, comprising four Grand Slam tournaments, Grand Prix Masters, Super Series, Regular Series.
The 1984 Grand Prix circuit was the fifteenth edition of the Grand Prix circuit and consisted of 68 tournaments which were held from January 84 through January 85. The tournaments were graded in one of twelve categories which determined the number of ranking points available: Grand Slam events, comprising four Grand Slam tournaments, Grand Prix Masters, Super Series, Open Week Series and Regular Series.
The 1985 Grand Prix circuit was the sixteenth edition of the Grand Prix circuit and consisted of 71 tournaments which were held from January 85 through January 86. The tournaments were graded in one of twelve categories which determined the number of ranking points available: Grand Slam events, comprising four Grand Slam tournaments, Grand Prix Masters, Super Series, Open Week Series and Regular Series. There were 32 Super Series tournaments. [20]
The 1986 Grand Prix circuit was the seventeenth edition of the Grand Prix circuit and consisted of 70 tournaments which were held from January through December. The tournaments were graded in one of twelve categories which determined the number of ranking points available: Grand Slam events, comprising four Grand Slam tournaments, Grand Prix Masters, Super Series, Open Week Series and Regular Series.
The 1987 Grand Prix circuit was the eighteenth edition of the Grand Prix circuit and consisted of 77 tournaments which were held from December 87 through December 88. The tournaments were graded in one of twelve categories which determined the number of ranking points available: Grand Slam events, comprising four Grand Slam tournaments, Grand Prix Masters, Super Series, Open Week Series and Regular Series.
The 1988 Grand Prix circuit was the nineteenth edition of the Grand Prix circuit and consisted of 77 tournaments which were held from January through December. The tournaments were graded in one of six categories which determined the number of ranking points available: Grand Slam events, comprising four Grand Slam tournaments, Olympic Games, Grand Prix Masters, Super Series, Open Week Series and Regular Series.
The 1989 Grand Prix circuit was the nineteenth and final edition of the Grand Prix circuit and consisted of 73 tournaments which were held from January through December. The tournaments were graded in one of five categories which determined the number of ranking points available: Grand Slam events, comprising four Grand Slam tournaments, Grand Prix Masters, Super Series, Open Week Series and Regular Series. There were 30 Super Series tournaments. [21]
Kenneth Robert Rosewall is an Australian former world top-ranking professional tennis player. Rosewall won 147 singles titles, including a record 15 Pro Majors and 8 Grand Slam titles for a total 23 titles at pro and amateur majors. He also won 15 Pro Majors in doubles and 9 Grand Slam doubles titles. Rosewall achieved a Pro Slam in singles in 1963 by winning the three Pro Majors in one year and he completed the Career Grand Slam in doubles.
The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) is the governing body of the men's professional tennis circuits – the ATP Tour, the ATP Challenger Tour and the ATP Champions Tour. It was formed in September 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of professional tennis players, and Drysdale became the first president. Since 1990 the association has organized the ATP Tour, the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the organization's name. It is the governing body of men's professional tennis. In 1990 the organization was called the ATP Tour, which was renamed in 2001 as just ATP and the tour being called ATP Tour. In 2009 the name of the tour was changed again and was known as the ATP World Tour, but changed again to the ATP Tour by 2019. It is an evolution of the tour competitions previously known as Grand Prix tennis tournaments and World Championship Tennis (WCT). The ATP's global headquarters are in London. ATP Americas is based in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida; ATP Europe is headquartered in Monaco; and ATP International, which covers Africa, Asia and Australasia, is based in Sydney, Australia.
The ATP Finals is the season-ending championship of the ATP Tour. It is the most significant tennis event in the men's annual calendar after the four majors, as it features the top eight singles players and top eight doubles teams based on their results throughout the season. The eighth spot is reserved, if needed, for a player or team who won a major in the current year and is ranked from ninth to twentieth.
The ATP Tour is the sole worldwide top-tier tennis tour for men organized by the Association of Tennis Professionals founded in 1990 that replaced the earlier dual Grand Prix Circuit and WCT Circuit. The second-tier tour is the ATP Challenger Tour and the third-tier is the ITF Men's World Tennis Tour. The equivalent women's organisation is the WTA Tour.
The ITF Grand Prix Circuit was a professional tennis tour for male players that existed founded in 1970 as the ILTF Grand Prix Tennis Circuit it ran annually until 1989 when it and WCT Circuit were replaced by a single world wide ATP Tour.
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.
Since 1990, the biggest events in men's tennis have been the four Grand Slam tournaments, the ATP Finals and the ATP Masters tournaments, in addition to the Grand Slam Cup between 1990–99. From 1983 to 1990, men's tennis had a very strong tradition and clear hierarchy of tournaments: the Grand Slam tournaments, including Wimbledon, the US Open, the French Open, and the Australian Open; the season-ending Masters Grand Prix; and the Davis Cup. Before 1983, however, and in particular before the start of the Open Era in 1968, the hierarchy of professional tournaments changed virtually every year. For example, in 1934, the U.S. Pro was a high-class tournament with all the best players, but just two years later, the same tournament was ordinary because only professional teachers entered the event.
The racket sport traditionally named lawn tennis, invented in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, now commonly known simply as tennis, is the direct descendant of what is now denoted real tennis or royal tennis, which continues to be played today as a separate sport with more complex rules. The first Lawn Tennis Club and tournament was held in Royal Leamington Spa on 1 August 1882.
The Milan Indoor, also known under various sponsored names, was a men's professional tennis tournament held from 1978 until 2005. It took placed in Milan, Italy with the exception of three years (1998–2000) when it was held in London, United Kingdom. The event was part of the Grand Prix circuit (1981–89) and ATP Tour (1990–2005) and was played on indoor carpet courts, except for the 2000 edition which was played on an indoor hard court. The most successful singles players were John McEnroe and Boris Becker who both won four titles. Stefan Edberg and Roger Federer won the first singles title of their career at the event. A single female edition of the event was held in 1991, won by Monica Seles. Due to a lack of sponsorship the tournament was replaced on the 2006 ATP Tour by the Zagreb Indoors.
A tennis tour is tennis played in tournament format at a series of venues – a tour – over during a set period of weeks or months. Professional tour tennis is played globally with one season consisting of one calendar year. Several tournaments are held each week as players win prize money and earn ranking points. A player's ranking determines her or his ability to enter a particular tournament, as tournaments vary in the amount money and points obtainable. Winning a tournament typically requires winning four to six matches in succession, generally a match a day, as play is single-loss elimination.
The 1983 Volvo Grand Prix was a professional tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, the Grand Prix tournaments, and two team tournaments (the Davis Cup and the World Team Cup. The circuit was administered by the Men's International Professional Tennis Council.
The 1981 Volvo Grand Prix was the only men's professional tennis circuit held that year. It consisted of the four Grand Slam tournaments and the Grand Prix tournaments. The World Championship Tennis (WCT) Tour was incorporated into the Grand Prix circuit. The WCT tour consisted of eight regular tournaments, a season's final, three tournaments categorized as special events and a doubles championship. In total 89 tournaments were held divided over 29 countries. The circuit was administered by the Men's International Professional Tennis Council (MIPTC).
The 1980 Volvo Grand Prix was a men's professional tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated the four grand slam tournaments, the Grand Prix tournaments. The Grand Prix circuit is a precursor to the ATP Tour.
The 1979 Colgate-Palmolive Grand Prix was a professional tennis circuit held that year. It consisted of four Grand Slam tournaments, the Grand Prix tournaments and the Nations Cup, a team event.
The 1978 Colgate-Palmolive Grand Prix was a professional tennis circuit held that year. It consisted of four Grand Slam tournaments, the Grand Prix tournaments and the Nations Cup, a team event. In addition eight World Championship Tennis (WCT) tournaments, a separate professional tennis circuit held from 1971 through 1977, were incorporated into the Grand Prix circuit. The 28 tournaments with prize money of $175,000 or more formed the Super Series category. Jimmy Connors won 10 of the 84 tournaments which secured him the first place in the Grand Prix points ranking. However he did not play enough tournaments (13) to qualify for largest share ($300,000) of the bonus pool, which instead went to third–ranked Eddie Dibbs.
The 1972 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix was a professional tennis circuit held that year and organized by the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF). It consisted of 33 Grand Prix tournaments in different categories including three of the four Grand Slam tournaments and was followed by a season-ending Masters tournament. The circuit ran from February through November.
The 1971 Pepsi Cola Grand Prix was a professional tennis circuit held that year. It incorporated three of the four Grand Slam tournaments, the Grand Prix tournaments. It was the second edition of the Grand Prix circuit and was run by the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ITLF). In addition to regular tournament prize money a bonus prize money pool of £60,000 ($150,000) was available to be divided among the 20 highest ranking players after the last tournament. To be eligible for a share of the bonus pool a player had to compete in a minimum of nine tournaments. The circuit culminated in a Masters event in Paris for the seven highest point scoring players. Stan Smith was the winner of the circuit with 187 ranking points and four tournament victories.
The 1970 Pepsi-Cola ILTF Grand Prix was a tennis circuit administered by the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) which served as a forerunner to the current Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) World Tour and the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour. It was the inaugural edition of the Grand Prix circuit and consisted of men's tournaments recognised by the ILTF. The creation of the Grand Prix circuit, on an experimental basis during its first year, was announced in April 1970 by the president of the ILTF, Ben Barnett. It was the brainchild of Jack Kramer, former tennis promoter and winner of the Wimbledon and US championships, and was aimed at countering the influence of commercial promoters, particularly Lamar Hunt and his World Championship Tennis circuit and George MacCall's National Tennis League.
The 1971 ILTF Women's Tennis Circuit was the 58th season since the formation of the International Lawn Tennis Federation in 1913, it consisted of a number of tennis tournaments for female tennis players.
The Open Era is the current era of professional tennis. It began in 1968 when the Grand Slam tournaments allowed professional players to compete with amateurs, ending the division that had persisted since the dawn of the sport in the 19th century. The first open tournament was the 1968 British Hard Court Championships held in April, followed by the inaugural open Grand Slam tournament, the 1968 French Open, a month later. Unless otherwise sourced, all records are based on data from the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the International Tennis Federation (ITF), and the official websites of the four Grand Slam tournaments. All rankings-related records are based on ATP rankings, which began in 1973. The names of active players appear in boldface.
The ATP subsequently announced on March 15 a Super Grand Prix Tournament in Cincinnati to be held Aug. 20-26, the same dates as the United States pro tournament.
Past participation required WCT to assume substantial responsibility for eight of 32 'Super' Grand Prix events.