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Tennis pro tours and tournament ranking series

For many years before the Open Era of tennis in 1968, the usual format for the handful of touring tennis professionals was a series of two-man one-night stands across the United States and often in other countries as well. The most notable of these tours were the "World Series"[1][2] or "World Professional Championships",[3][4][5][6] in which the reigning world champion went head-to-head against a challenger, most often the leading amateur of the previous year who had just turned pro. Promoters would attempt to sign the leading amateur to a contract with a minimum guarantee against a percentage of gate receipts, making a similar type of deal with the reigning professional champion and sometimes giving smaller percentages to undercard players. The winners of the tours were described as being the "world champion".[7]

After World War II, with an increasing number of prominent professional players, there were occasionally tournament series with point systems which created official rankings for the complete field of pros. The tournament ranking series were held in 1946, 1959 and 1960 and there were also World Championship tours in these same three years involving only a few pros. The last World Championship two-man tour was held in 1963, featuring a final set of matches of Ken Rosewall against Rod Laver. From 1964 until 1967, a tournament series with a point system determined the pro No. 1 player. Some shorter two-man or four-man tours continued to be held from 1964 onward, as there had been since the late 1920s, but without a world title at stake.[8]

World Championship tours edit

* Partial or incomplete result.
Date Pro tour Standings Head-to-head results Ref.
1928 Aug 25–Dec 7 World tour Principals:
  1.   Karel Koželuh
  2.   Vincent Richards

Secondaries:

Koželuh–Richards 15–4
[citation needed]
[9]
1931 Feb 18–Aug 16 North America tour[a] Principals:
  1.   Bill Tilden
  2.   Karel Koželuh

Secondaries:

Tilden–Koželuh 50–17 [10]
1932 Jan 4–Jul 10 U.S. tour[b] Principals:
  1.   Bill Tilden
  2.   Hans Nüsslein

Secondaries:

Tilden–Nüsslein 100–50 [11]
[12]
1933 Jan–May North America tour[c] Principals:
  1.   Bill Tilden
  2.   Hans Nüsslein

Secondaries:

  •   Francis Hunter
  •   Bruce Barnes
  •   Emmett Paré
Tilden–Nüsslein 56–22[13] [11]
1934 Jan 10–May 13 U.S. tour Principals:
  1.   Ellsworth Vines
  2.   Bill Tilden

Secondaries:

Vines–Tilden 38–19[14] [15]
1935 Jan 9–Apr 29
[citation needed]
North America tour[d]
  1.   Ellsworth Vines
  2.   Hans Nüsslein
  3.   Bill Tilden
    or   George Lott
    or   Les Stoefen
Vines–Stoefen 25–1 [16]
Vines–Nüsslein 75%–25+%*
Vines–Tilden 9–3[17]
Vines–Lott 2–0[18]
Tilden–Lott 35–6*[19]
Vines/Tilden–Lott/Stoefen 20–10
1936 Jan 11–Jun 7
[citation needed]
North America tour[e] Principals:
  1.   Ellsworth Vines
  2.   Les Stoefen

Secondaries:

Vines–Stoefen 33–5* [20]
1937 Jan 6–May 12 North America tour Principals:
  1.   Ellsworth Vines
  2.   Fred Perry

Secondaries:

  •   George Lott
  •   Bruce Barnes
Vines–Perry 32–29 [21]
Tilden–Perry 2–0
Barnes–Lott 25-19*
Perry/Vines–Barnes/Lott 25–16*
1938 Jan 11–May 30 North America tour[f] Principals:
  1.   Ellsworth Vines
  2.   Fred Perry

Secondaries:

  1.   Walter Senior
  2.   Berkeley Bell
Vines–Perry 49–35 [22]
Senior–Bell 25–12*
Senior/Vines–Bell/Perry 33–21*
1939 Jan 3–Mar 6 North America tour Principals:
  1.   Don Budge
  2.   Ellsworth Vines

Secondaries:

Budge–Vines 22–17 [23]
Skeen–Chapin 13–2*
1939 Mar 10–May 8 North America tour Principals:
  1.   Don Budge
  2.   Fred Perry

Secondaries:

  •   Ben Gorchakoff
  •   Walter Senior
Budge–Perry 28–8 [23]
1941 Jan 6–May 10 North America tour[g]
  1.   Don Budge
  2.   Bill Tilden
Budge–Tilden 47–6[24] [25]
1941 Dec 26–Apr 5 U.S. tour[h]
  1.   Don Budge (52–18)
  2.   Bobby Riggs (36–36)
  3.   Frank Kovacs (25–26)
  4.   Fred Perry (23–30)
  5.   Lester Stoefen (3–31)
Budge–Riggs 15–10 [26]
[27]
Budge–Kovacs 12–5
Budge–Perry 15–3
Budge–Stoefen 10–0
1946 Mar 9–Jun 2 North America tour Principals:
  1.   Bobby Riggs
  2.   Don Budge

Secondaries:

Riggs–Budge 24–22 [28]
1947 Dec 26–1948 May 27 North America tour Principals:
  1.   Jack Kramer
  2.   Bobby Riggs

Secondaries:

Kramer–Riggs 69–20 [8]
1949 Oct 25–1950 May 21 World tour Principals:
  1.   Jack Kramer
  2.   Pancho Gonzales

Secondaries:

Kramer–Gonzales 94–29 [29]
1950 Oct 28–1951 Mar North America tour[8]
  1.   Jack Kramer
  2.   Pancho Segura
Kramer–Segura 64–28 [30]
1953 Jan 6–Jun 1 North America tour Principals:
  1.   Jack Kramer
  2.   Frank Sedgman

Secondaries:

  1.   Pancho Segura
  2.   Ken McGregor
Kramer–Sedgman 54–41 [8]
[31]
Segura–McGregor 71–25
1954 Jan 3–May 30 North America tour
  1.   Pancho Gonzales
  2.   Pancho Segura
  3.   Frank Sedgman
  4.   Don Budge[citation needed]
Gonzales–Sedgman 30–21 [8]
Gonzales–Segura 30–21
Segura–Sedgman 23–22
1955 Dec 9–1956 Jun 3 North America tour Principals:
  1.   Pancho Gonzales
  2.   Tony Trabert

Secondaries:

Gonzales–Trabert 74–27 [8]
1957 Jan–May World tour Principals:
  1.   Pancho Gonzales
  2.   Ken Rosewall

Secondaries:

  •   Dinny Pails
  •   Pancho Segura
Gonzales–Rosewall 50–26 [8]
1958 Jan–May World tour Principals:
  1.   Pancho Gonzales
  2.   Lew Hoad

Secondaries:

  •   Tony Trabert
  •   Pancho Segura
  •   Ken Rosewall
  •   Frank Sedgman
Gonzales–Hoad 51–36 [8]
1959 Feb 20–May 31 North America tour
  1.   Pancho Gonzales (47–15)
  2.   Lew Hoad (42–20)
  3.   Ashley Cooper (21–40)
  4.   Mal Anderson (13–48)
Gonzales–Cooper 14–0 [32]
Gonzales–Anderson 20–0
Hoad-Gonzales 15–13
Hoad–Cooper 18–2
Hoad–Anderson 9–5
Cooper–Anderson 19–8
1960 Jan–Jun World tour
  1.   Pancho Gonzales (49–8)
  2.   Ken Rosewall (32–25)
  3.   Pancho Segura (22–28)
  4.   Alex Olmedo (11–44)
Gonzales–Rosewall 20–4 [33]
1960 Dec 30–1961 May 28 World tour
  1.   Pancho Gonzales (33–14)
  2.   Andrés Gimeno (27–20)
  3. =  Lew Hoad (24–23)
    =  Tony Trabert (24–23)
  4.   Barry MacKay (22–25)
  5.   Alex Olmedo (18–29)
  6.   Butch Buchholz (16–31)
[34]
Finals:
  1.   Pancho Gonzales
  2.   Andrés Gimeno
  3.   Frank Sedgman
  4.   Barry MacKay
Gonzales–Gimeno

(final)

21–7
Sedgman–MacKay

(3rd place)

15–13
1963 Feb–May 30 North America tour
  1.   Ken Rosewall (31–10)
  2.   Rod Laver (26–16)
  3.   Butch Buchholz (23–18)
  4.   Andrés Gimeno (21–20)
  5.   Barry MacKay (12–29)
  6.   Luis Ayala (11–30)
Rosewall–Laver 5–3 [35]
Finals:
  1.   Ken Rosewall
  2.   Rod Laver
  3.   Andrés Gimeno
  4.   Butch Buchholz
Rosewall–Laver

(final)

14–4
Gimeno–Buchholz

(3rd place)

11–7

Winners edit

Tours Player Years
7   Pancho Gonzales 1954, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61
5   Ellsworth Vines 1934, 35, 36, 37, 38
4   Don Budge 1939 (Mar), 39 (May), 41, 42
  Jack Kramer 1948, 50, 51, 53
3   Bill Tilden 1931, 32, 33
1   Karel Koželuh 1928
  Bobby Riggs 1946
  Ken Rosewall 1963

Tournament ranking series edit

There were occasionally important professional tournament series which were referred to as establishing full field rankings, necessitated by the increasing number of prominent professional players in the post-World War II period. In 1946, there was a professional tournament series of 18 events in the U.S. under the organization of the P.P.A.T. (Professional Players Association of Tennis) linked by a points system won by Bobby Riggs, which he relied upon as evidence of his mastery of the entire pro field.[36] In 1959, Jack Kramer established a series of 15 tournaments in Australia, North America, and Europe linked by a points system which provided a full field ranking of all the contract professionals, plus a substantial money prize for the top finisher, with Lew Hoad emerging as world No. 1.[37] The 1959 tournament series was officially named the "Ampol Open Trophy", after the principal sponsor of the tournaments, the Ampol oil company, and the trophy awarded to the winner.[38] The 1959 tournament series was referred to as "the world series" in Kramer's brochure and a newspaper report.[39][40] In 1960, Kramer again established a tournament series with a points system, but both Gonzales and Hoad withdrew from the field and the final results are unknown. In 1964, under Kramer's advice, the I.P.T.P.A. (International Professional Tennis Players Association) established a series of 17 tournaments in U.S. and Europe with a points system, and a world No. 1 and world champion was named as a result, Ken Rosewall. This system continued in subsequent years, with Rod Laver attaining the No. 1 ranking position for the 1965, 1966, and 1967 pro tournament series. The final results of these later tournament series were not published. In 1968–69, the two pro tennis tours, the NTL and the WCT, each had a tournament series ranking list which contributed four players from each tour to a combined final tournament at the Madison Square Garden. Tony Roche won the 1968 event,[41] and Rod Laver won the 1969 event.[42] Beginning in 1970, the ILTF authorized Kramer to arrange a year-end championship in which the pros with the highest tournament series points competed for the title of Grand Prix champion. This event was held in various locations and finally remained at Madison Square Garden from 1977 to 1989. In 1990, the ATP took over running the event and started awarding ranking points for the 8 qualifiers based on their results in the tournament. Currently, the championship is known as the "ATP Finals".[43]

Date Tournament series Standings Points results Ref.
1946 June 11 – Nov 17 P.P.A.T.
18 tournaments[i]
  1.   Bobby Riggs
  2.   Don Budge
  3.   Frank Kovacs
  4.   Welby Van Horn
  5.   Carl Earn
  6.   Wayne Sabin
  7.   John Faunce
  8.   Jack Jossi
  9.   Fred Perry
  10.   Bill Tilden
278
164
149
143
94
74
68
60
50
36
[45]
1959 Jan 8–1960 Jan 2 Ampol Open Trophy
15 tournaments[ii]
51
43
41
32
25
14
14
8
1
1
[45]
[46]
1964 May 19–Oct 31 I.P.T.P.A.
17 tournaments[iii]
  1.   Ken Rosewall
  2.   Rod Laver
  3.   Pancho Gonzales
  4.   Andrés Gimeno
  5.   Butch Buchholz
  6.   Lew Hoad
  7.   Alex Olmedo
  8. =  Robert Haillet
    =  Luis Ayala
[47]
[48]

Winners edit

Series Player Years
4   Rod Laver 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969
1   Bobby Riggs 1946
1   Lew Hoad 1959
1   Ken Rosewall 1964
1   Tony Roche 1968

Other professional tours edit

* Partial or incomplete result.

Women edit

Date Pro Tour Standings Head-to-head results Ref.
1926 Oct 9–1927 Feb North America tour[i]
  1.   Suzanne Lenglen
  2.   Mary K. Browne
Lenglen–Browne 38–0 [49]
1927 Jul 5–Jul U.K. tour[j]
incomplete
results
[50]
1936 Jan 11–Apr U.S. tour
  1.   Ethel Burkhardt Arnold
  2.   Jane Sharp
Arnold–Sharp [51]
1936 Oct 9– Asia tour
  •   Jane Sharp
  •   Sanae Okada
Marble–Hardwick incomplete
results
[51]
1941 Jan 6–May 10 North America tour[k]
  1.   Alice Marble
  2.   Mary Hardwick
Marble–Hardwick 58–3 [52]
[27]
1942 Jun 6– U.S. tour[l] Principals:
  1.   Dorothy Round
  2.   Mary Hardwick

Secondaries:

Round–Hardwick [53]
1943 Jun 9– U.S. tour (military posts) Principals:
  1.   Alice Marble
  2.   Mary Hardwick

Secondaries:

Marble–Hardwick [53]
1943 U.S. tour (Women's Army Corps bases)[m]
  1.   Eveleen Donelley
  2.   Lezlie Harrington
Donelley-Harrington [53]
1943 Sep– U.S. Tour (colleges)[n]
  1.   Alice Marble
  2.   Mary Hardwick
Marble–Hardwick [53]
1944 Canal Zone and Caribbean tour
  1.   Alice Marble
  2.   Mary Hardwick
Marble–Hardwick [53]
1947 Jun 8– U.S. & Europe tour
  1.   Pauline Betz
  2.   Sarah Palfrey Cooke
Betz–Palfrey Cooke [8]
[54]
1951 U.S. tour
  1.   Pauline Betz
  2.   Gussie Moran
Betz–Moran [55]
1959 Dec 28–1960 U.S. tour
  1.   Althea Gibson
  2.   Karol Fageros
Gibson–Fageros 114–4 [8]
[56]

Men edit

Date Pro tour Standings Head-to-head results Ref.
1926 Oct 9–1927 Feb North America tour[o]
incomplete
results
[49]
1927 Jul 5–Jul U.K. tour[p]
Koželuh–Kinsey incomplete
results
[57]
1929 Sep–Oct 27 U.S. tour
  1.   Karel Koželuh
  2.   Vincent Richards
Koželuh–Richards 5–2 [58]
1930 U.S. tour Principals:
  1.   Karel Koželuh
  2.   Vincent Richards

Secondaries:

Koželuh–Richards 4–2 [58]
1931 May 9–17 North America tour
  1.   Bill Tilden
  2.   Vincent Richards
Tilden–Richards 4–0* [59]
1931 Oct 21–Nov 9 Europe tour[q]
incomplete
results
[59]
1932 Sep 17–Nov 27 Europe tour[r]
incomplete
results
[60]
1933 Europe tour[s]
  •   Bill Tilden
  •   Bruce Barnes
  •   Hans Nüsslein
  •   Roman Najuch
  • Various local players
incomplete
results
[60]
1933 U.S. tour
incomplete
results
[citation needed]
1933 South America tour
  •   Hans Nüsslein
  •   Karel Koželuh
  • Various local players
Nüsslein–Koželuh incomplete
results
[citation needed]
19331934 South America tour
incomplete
results
1934 Feb 19–Mar 19
[citation needed]
North America tour
  1.   United States (10)
  2.   France (0)
    • Henri Cochet
    • Martin Plaa
Vines–Cochet 10–0 [61]
Vines–Plaa 8–2
Tilden–Cochet 8–2
Tilden–Plaa 10–0
1934 April 2–May U.S. tour
  •   Vincent Richards
  •   Bruce Barnes
  •   Henri Cochet
  •   Martin Plaa
incomplete
results
[61]
1934 Aug–Sep Europe tour
incomplete
results
[61]
1935 World tour
incomplete
results
[62]
1936 Jan–Jun U.S. tour[t] Principals:[63]
  1.   Bill Tilden
  2.   Bruce Barnes

Secondaries:

Tilden–Barnes [65]
1936 Oct 9–Nov Asian tour
  1.   Ellsworth Vines
  2.   Bill Tilden
Vines–Tilden [65]
1937 Jan–Apr
[citation needed]
North America tour
incomplete
results
[66]
1937 Mar 24–Apr 10 U.S. tour Principals:
  1.   Fred Perry
  2.   Bill Tilden

Secondaries:

Perry–Tilden 4–1* [66]
Perry/Vines–Richards/Tilden 5–0
1937 May–Jun 15 Europe Tour Principals:
  1.   Fred Perry
  2.   Ellsworth Vines

Secondaries:

Perry–Vines 6–3 [citation needed]
1937 Oct Italy tour
  •   Henri Cochet
  •   Bill Tilden
  •   Robert Ramillon
  •   Hans Nüsslein
incomplete
results
[66]
1937 Nov 20–1938 Mar 24
[citation needed]
Egypt & Asia tour
Cochet–Tilden incomplete
results
[66]
[67]
Ramillon–Burke
1938 U.S. tour
incomplete
results
[citation needed]
1938 Nov 15–Nov 29 Caribbean tour
  •   Ellsworth Vines
  •   Fred Perry
Vines–Perry 4–4 [67]
1939 May 25–Aug 30
[citation needed]
Europe tour[u]
  1.   Don Budge
  2.   Ellsworth Vines
  3.   Bill Tilden
    or   Lester Stoefen
Budge–Vines 15–5 [68]
Budge–Tilden
Budge–Stoefen
1939 Oct–1940 Jan U.S. & Mexico tour
  •   Fred Perry
  •   Bill Tilden
  •   Lester Stoefen
  •   Ben Gorchakoff
  •   Bruce Barnes
incomplete
results
[69]
[70]
1940 U.S. tour
  •   Fred Perry
  •   Bill Tilden
  •   Vincent Richards
  •   Ben Gorchakoff
Perry–Tilden incomplete
results
[citation needed]
1941 Jun–Sep 1 U.S. tour Principals:
  1.   Fred Perry
  2.   Bill Tilden

Secondaries:

  •   Vincent Richards
  •   Karel Koželuh
Perry–Tilden incomplete
results
[26]
Koželuh–Richards* incomplete
results
1946 Feb–Aug U.S. tour
  1.   Fred Perry
  2.   Bill Tilden
incomplete
results
[citation needed]
1946 Dec–1947 Jan South African tour
Budge–Riggs incomplete
results
[71]
1947 Feb Europe tour
  •   Don Budge
  •   Bobby Riggs
Budge–Riggs incomplete
results
[71]
1947 Apr–Sep USA Pro Challenge Tour
  1.   Frank Kovacs (6–5)
  2.   Bobby Riggs (5–6)
Kovacs–Riggs [v]
1948 Jun–Jul South America tour
  1.   Jack Kramer
  2.   Pancho Segura
  3.   Dinny Pails
  4.   Bobby Riggs
incomplete
results
[83]
1948 Sep–Nov Australia tour
  1.   Jack Kramer
  2.   Pancho Segura
  3.   Dinny Pails
  4.   Bobby Riggs
incomplete
results
[84]
1950 Nov–Dec New Zealand tour
  1.   Dinny Pails
  2.   Pancho Gonzales
  3.   Don Budge
  4.   Frank Parker
incomplete
results
[85]
1951 Jan–Feb Australia tour
  1.   Pancho Gonzales (36–6)
  2.   Dinny Pails (27–15)
  3.   Frank Parker (14–28)
  4.   Don Budge (9–33)
[85]
1951 Oct–Nov South America tour
  1.   Pancho Segura
  2.   Pancho Gonzales
Segura–Gonzales incomplete
results
[86]
1953 Aug–Sep Europe tour
incomplete
results
[87]
1954 Sep–Oct Asia tour
  1.   Frank Sedgman (10–7–1)
  2.   Pancho Gonzales (10–8)
  3.   Pancho Segura (10–8)
  4.   Jack Kramer (5–12–1)
[88]
[89]
1954 Nov–Dec Australia tour
  1.   Pancho Gonzales
  2.   Frank Sedgman
    or   Pancho Segura
  3.   Ken McGregor
Gonzales–Sedgman 16–9 [citation needed]
Gonzales–Segura 4–2
Gonzales–McGregor 15–0
1955 Jan–Feb Australia tour
incomplete
results
[90]
1955 Jul–Sep Europe tour
  •   Ken McGregor
  •   Pancho Gonzales
  •   Pancho Segura
  •   Frank Sedgman
  •   Fred Perry
incomplete
results
[91]
1956 Jun–Jul South America tour
incomplete
results
[92]
1956 Aug–Oct Europe tour
incomplete
results
[93]
1956 Oct–Nov South Africa tour
  1.   Pancho Gonzales (9–4)
  2.   Frank Sedgman (7–6)
  3.   Tony Trabert (6–7)
  4.   Rex Hartwig (4–9)
[93]
1957 Jun–Jul South America tour
incomplete
results
[94]
1957 Aug–Oct Europe tour
incomplete
results
[95]
1957 Oct–Nov South Africa tour
  •   Ken Rosewall
  •   Pancho Segura
  •   Lew Hoad
  •   Jack Kramer
incomplete
results
[96]
1957 Nov Asia tour
  •   Ken Rosewall
  •   Pancho Segura
  •   Lew Hoad
  •   Jack Kramer
incomplete
results
[95]
1957 Nov–Dec Australian tour
  1.   Ken Rosewall
  2.   Lew Hoad
  3.   Frank Sedgman
  4.   Pancho Segura
incomplete
results
[97]
[98]
1958 Jul–Oct Europe tour
  •   Ken Rosewall
  •   Lew Hoad
  •   Tony Trabert
  •   Pancho Segura
incomplete
results
[99]
1958 2 Aug–25 Oct Perrier Trophy tour
  1.   Ken Rosewall
  2.   Lew Hoad
    or   Tony Trabert
    or   Pancho Segura
incomplete
results
[100]
1958 Nov–Dec Asia tour
  •   Ken Rosewall
  •   Frank Sedgman
  •   Tony Trabert
  •   Pancho Segura
incomplete
results
[101]
1959 Jan–Feb Australia tour
incomplete
results
[102]
[103]
1959 Feb–Mar New Zealand tour
  •   Ken Rosewall
  •   Tony Trabert
  •   Frank Sedgman
  •   Mervyn Rose
incomplete
results
[32]
1959 Jul–Oct Grand Prix de Europe
  1.   Frank Sedgman (18)
  2.   Ken Rosewall (17)
  3.   Lew Hoad (11)
  4.   Tony Trabert (8)
[104]
1959 Nov South African tour
  1.   Ken Rosewall (12–2)
  2.   Pancho Segura (9–5)
  3.   Ashley Cooper (7–7)
  4.   Mal Anderson (4–10)
  5.   Mervyn Rose (3–11)
[105]
1960 April New Zealand tour
  1.   Lew Hoad (7–3)
  2.   Mal Anderson (7–3)
  3.   Frank Sedgman (4–6)
  4.   Ashley Cooper (2–8)
Hoad–Anderson 1–0 [106]
1960 Jun–Aug Grand Prix de Europe
  1.   Ashley Cooper (72%)
  2.   Andrés Gimeno (66%)
  3.   Pancho Segura (43%)
  4.   Mal Anderson (43%)
  5.   Alex Olmedo (37%)
[107]
1960 Oct–Dec Asia tour
  •   Ken Rosewall
  •   Tony Trabert
  •   Ashley Cooper
  •   Lew Hoad
  •   Andrés Gimeno
  •   Pancho Segura
  •   Mal Anderson
  •   Alex Olmedo
incomplete
results
[34]
1961 Feb Europe tour
incomplete
results
[108]
1961 Apr South America tour
  1.   Pancho Segura (18–5)
  2.   Alex Olmedo (13–11)
  3.   Ashley Cooper (12–12)
  4.   Butch Buchholz (5–20)
[108]
1961 July Soviet Union tour
  1.   Tony Trabert
  2.   Butch Buchholz
  3.   Pancho Segura
  4.   Lew Hoad
[109]
1961 Aug–Sep British Isles tour
  1.   Lew Hoad (6–4)
  2.   Pancho Gonzales (4–6)
Hoad–Gonzales 6–4 [110]
[111]
1962 Mar New Zealand tour