Memphis Open | |
---|---|
Defunct tennis tournament | |
Founded | 1975 |
Abolished | 2017 |
Editions | 43 |
Location | Memphis, Tennessee, United States |
Venue | Racquet Club of Memphis |
Category | 250 series |
Surface | Hard / indoor |
Website | memphisopen.com |
The Memphis Open was a professional tennis tournament that ran from 1975 to 2017. From 1977 onwards, the event was held at the Racquet Club of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee. The Memphis Open was the only ATP event in the United States which was played on indoor hard courts; it usually took place in February. For part of its history it was a combined men's and women's tournament, but for its final four years it was solely a men's tournament.
The event was previously known under various sponsored names including the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships, the Kroger St. Jude Championship, the Volvo Championships, the Cellular South Cup, and the Federal Express International and was for a period time part of the now defunct U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships .
The last singles champion of the Memphis Open was Ryan Harrison and the last doubles champions are Brian Baker and Nikola Mektić. The 2017 Memphis Open titles were the first career titles for all three men. As of 2018, the tournament has moved to New York as the new New York Open.
In 1974, Memphis cotton merchant William B. "Billy" Dunavant Jr. purchased the Memphis Athletic Club and began a $7 M expansion to transform the facility into what is now the Racquet Club of Memphis. What is now known as the Memphis Open was first played in 1975 on indoor carpet as part of the WCT. In 1977, the U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships moved to Memphis from Salisbury, Maryland and increased the event's prize money to $220,000. [1] The Memphis Open had the distinction (until 2014) of being the only private indoor racquet club in the world to host a men's and women's professional tennis event. [2] The tournament was played on indoor carpet into the 1980s, but the club eventually changed its surface to hard courts.
In November 2001, the Racquet Club of Memphis purchased the rights to the WTA event in Oklahoma City and moved it to Memphis, where the tournament hosted both men's and women's events for 12 years. In 2008, the event was elevated to ATP 500 Series status. In 2014, the men's and women's events moved to Rio de Janeiro. [3] Memphis then purchased the ATP 250 event in San Jose to keep professional tennis in the city. [4] In late 2014, Tennis Rendezvous LLC, owned by the USTA and Golden Set Holdings LLC, purchased the U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships and renamed it the Memphis Open. In 2015, the Memphis Open was sold again, purchased by New York-based financial management company GF Capital.
Over the years, the Memphis Open has counted nine ATP year-end No. 1 players among its winners: Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Stefan Edberg, Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl, Jim Courier, Pete Sampras, and Andy Roddick. In 2016, Kei Nishikori won the event for a fourth consecutive time, tying Connors' record for the most overall Memphis titles.
In April 2017 the ATP announced that the tournament will relocate to the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island, New York in 2018 after the event failed to find a title sponsor in Memphis. [5]
Record | Player(s) | Count | Years |
---|---|---|---|
Winner of most Men's Singles titles | Jimmy Connors Kei Nishikori | 4 | 1977, 1978, 1983, 1984 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 |
Winner of most consecutive Men's Singles titles | Kei Nishikori | 4 | 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 |
Most Men's Singles finals | Jimmy Connors | 6 | 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1987 |
Winner of most Men's Doubles titles (individual & team) | Todd Woodbridge & Mark Woodforde | 4 | 1992, 1993, 1998, 1999 |
Winner of most consecutive Men's Doubles titles (individual & team) | Todd Woodbridge & Mark Woodforde Mariusz Fyrstenberg & Santiago Gonzalez | 2 | 1992, 1993 & 1998, 1999 2015, 2016 |
Most Men's Doubles finals (individual & team) | Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan | 7 | 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2013, 2014 |
The Pacific Coast Championships was an annual men's tennis tournament founded as the Pacific States Championships or the Pacific Coast Sectional Championships also known as the Pacific Coast International Championships. It was the second-oldest ongoing tennis tournament in the United States and ran from 1889 until 2013. Its final edition, known by its sponsored name SAP Open, was an ATP World Tour 250 series event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour and played indoors on a hard court surface at the SAP Center at San Jose.
The U.S. National Indoor Championships was a tennis tournament that was last held at the Racquet Club of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The event was played on indoor hard courts and usually took place in February. For much of its more than 100-year history it was a combined men's and women's tournament but in 2014, its final year, only a men's tournament was held. The event was previously known under various sponsored names including the Memphis Open, the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships, the Kroger St. Jude Championship, and the Volvo Championships. It was called throughout most of its history the National Indoor Championships.
Eric Butorac, nicknamed Booty, is an American retired professional tennis player. He was a doubles specialist, and for a period of approximately six years was the No. 3 ranked American doubles player. His best result was reaching the 2014 Australian Open finals with partner Raven Klaasen. Their run to the final included a victory over the World No. 1 team of Bob and Mike Bryan.
The European Community Championship was a men's professional tennis tournament held from 1982 until 1998 in Antwerp, Belgium. The tournament was held as a special invitational/exhibition event run outside the Grand Prix series and did not distribute any ATP ranking points until 1992, when the tournament became part of the ATP Tour. While an exhibition tournament, invitations were extended to players who won a tournament title in Europe during that year. The surface of the tournament was indoor carpet.
The Racquet Club of Memphis was a private tennis club in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The club was formed in 1974 as an expansion of the Memphis Athletic Club. An ATP Tour tournament, later called the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships came to the club in 1976 and was given an elevated "500" status in 2008. The increased status brought higher caliber players, a higher prize package and more points to the players. The change took effect in 2009. A 5,000-seat stadium was constructed in 1984. The club features 27 total courts: 11 indoor and 16 outdoor. During its later years, the ATP tournament was joined by a WTA Tour event, the Cellular South Cup. The final tournament played at the club was in 2017.
The U.S. Women's Indoor Championships, was a national tennis championship for women that was sanctioned by the United States Tennis Association and held 79 times from 1907 through 2001 at various locations and on various surfaces. The event was affiliated with the WTA Tour from 1971 through 2001.
The Rio de Janeiro Open was a men's tennis tournament was played as Banespa Rio de Janeiro Open from 1989 to 1990 on indoor carpet courts.
The Atlanta Open is a professional men's tennis tournament that has been played in the Atlanta area in the United States since 2010, usually during July or August. The tournament is played on outdoor hard courts as part of the USTA's US Open Series, the seven-week summer season lead-up to the U.S. Open.
The 1984 U.S. National Indoor Championships was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts that was part of the Super Series of the 1984 Volvo Grand Prix. It was played at the Racquet Club of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee in the United States and held from February 6 through February 12, 1984. First-seeded Jimmy Connors won the singles title and earned $45,000 first-prize money.
The Rio Open, also known as the Rio Open presented by Claro for sponsorship reasons, is a tennis event on the ATP Tour and former WTA International Tournaments event. The tournament is played on outdoor clay courts at the Jockey Club Brasileiro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the only ATP Tour 500 event in South America and the only ATP Tour event in Brazil.
The 1978 U.S. National Indoor Championships was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts at the Racquet Club of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee in the United States that was part of the 1978 Colgate-Palmolive Grand Prix. It was the ninth edition of the tournament was held from February 27 through March 5, 1978. First-seeded Jimmy Connors won the singles title and $39,000 first-prize money. It was Connors' fourth title at the event after his three successive titles from 1973 to 1975, when the tournament was held in Salisbury, Maryland.
The 1980 U.S. National Indoor Championships was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts at the Racquet Club of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee in the United States. The event was part of the Grand Prix circuit. It was the 11th edition of the tournament in the open era and was held from February 25 through March 3, 1980. First-seeded John McEnroe won the singles title and $40,000 first-prize money. As a result of his title win McEnroe overtook Björn Borg as the ATP world No. 1 ranked player.
The 2005 Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and the Cellular South Cup were tennis tournaments played on indoor hard courts. It was the 30th edition of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships, the 20th edition of the Cellular South Cup, and was part of the International Series Gold of the 2005 ATP Tour, and of the Tier III Series of the 2005 WTA Tour. Both the men's and the women's events took place at the Racquet Club of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, from February 14 through February 20, 2005.
The 2016 Memphis Open was a tennis tournament, played on indoor hard courts. It was the 41st edition of the event known that year as the Memphis Open, and part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the 2016 ATP World Tour. It took place at the Racquet Club of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, from 8 through 14 February 2016. First-seeded Kei Nishikori won his fourth consecutive singles title at the event.
The 1985 U.S. Indoor Championships was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts that was part of the 1985 Nabisco Grand Prix. It was the 15th edition of the tournament and was played at the Racquet Club of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee in the United States from January 28 to February 3, 1985. Ninth-seeded Stefan Edberg won the singles title.
The 1986 Volvo U.S. Indoor Championships was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts at the Racquet Club of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee in the United States that was part of the 1986 Nabisco Grand Prix. It was the 16th edition of the tournament was held from February 3 through February 10, 1986. Eighth-seeded Brad Gilbert won the singles title and earned $45,000 first-prize money.
The 1983 U.S. National Indoor Championships was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts that was part of the 1983 Volvo Grand Prix.It was the 13th edition of the tournament and was played at the Racquet Club of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee in the United States from February 14 through February 20, 1983. First-seeded Jimmy Connors won the singles title, his sixth at the event, improving the record he held jointly with Wylie C. Grant.
The 1982 U.S. National Indoor Championships was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts that was part of the 1982 Volvo Grand Prix. It was the 12th edition of the tournament and was played at the Racquet Club of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee in the United States from February 8 through February 14, 1982. Eighth-seeded Johan Kriek won the singles title and earned $40,000 first-prize money.
The 1981 U.S. National Indoor Championships was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts that was part of the 1981 Volvo Grand Prix. It was the 11th edition of the tournament and was played at the Racquet Club of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee in the United States from February 23 through March 1, 1981. Second-seeded Gene Mayer won the singles title and earned $36,000 first-prize money.
The 1979 U.S. National Indoor Championships was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts at the Racquet Club of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee in the United States. The event was part of the 1979 Colgate-Palmolive Grand Prix circuit. It was the tenth edition of the tournament in the open era and was held from February 26 through March 4, 1979. First-seeded Jimmy Connors won the singles title and $40,000 first-prize money. It was his fifth singles title at the event after 1973–75 and 1978 which equaled the tournament record set by Wylie C. Grant.