View source for Major professional tennis tournaments before the Open Era

{{Short description|none}}
{{see also|Tennis pro tours and tournament ranking series}}
Before the advent of the [[Tennis open era|Open era]] of tennis competitions in April 1968, only [[Amateur sports|amateurs]] were allowed to compete in established tournaments, including the four [[Grand Slam (tennis)|major]]s. There was no prize money and players were compensated for travel expenses only. However many top tennis players turned [[Professional sports|professional]] to play legally for [[prize money]] in the years before the open era. They played in separate professional events, mostly on tours involving head-to-head competition, but also in professional tournaments as the biggest events on the pro tour.<ref name="eot1974">{{cite book | title=Encyclopedia of Tennis | url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofte00robe | url-access=registration | author=Robertson, Max | year=1974 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofte00robe/page/60 60–71]| publisher=New York, Viking Press | isbn=9780670294084 }}</ref> Professional tournaments, in particular the professional majors, usually only had a men's draw.
== Professional majors ==
In addition to the [[Tennis Pro Tours|head-to-head tours]], there were also major pro events, where the world's top professional male players often played. These tournaments held with a certain tradition and longevity. According to Ellsworth Vines, "the Wembley tournament in London..., the U.S. professional championship, and to some extent the tournament in Paris were the major professional tournaments prior to 1968."<ref>''Tennis Myth and Method'' (1978), Ellsworth Vines and Gene Vier ({{ISBN|9780670696659}}), page 43</ref>
The oldest of these three tournaments was the [[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships]], played at a variety of different venues and on a variety of different surfaces, between 1927 and 1999. The [[Wembley Championship]], played between 1934 and 1990 at the [[Wembley Arena]] in the United Kingdom, was played on a wood surface through 1967. The third professional major was the [[French Pro Championship]], where between 1930 and 1968 it was played on both clay and wood courts. A player who won all three in a calendar year was considered in retrospect by later tennis writers to achieve a [[Grand Slam (tennis)#Pro Slam|"Professional Grand Slam", or "Pro Slam"]].<ref name="RGeist">{{cite book | title=Ken Rosewall: Der Grosse Meister | author=Geist, Robert | year=1999 | location=Austria | page=137}}</ref><ref name="RLee">{{cite journal | title=Greatest Player of All Time: A Statistical Analysis | author=Lee, Raymond | journal=Tennis Week Magazine |date=September 2007}}</ref>
In some years, professional tournaments other than the pro majors had stronger fields and offered more prize money. Jack Kramer designated the four major professional tournaments for the 1958/1959 seasons as follows; Forest Hills, Kooyong, L.A. Masters, Sydney.<ref>World Tennis, November, 1958</ref>
===U.S. Pro Tennis Championships===
{{main article|U.S. Pro Tennis Championships}}
The U.S. Pro Tennis Championship, also known as the US Pro, and officially known as the Cleveland International Pro or Cleveland World Pro Tennis Championships between 1951 and 1962,<ref>Sports Illustrated, 22 April 1957, "...officially known as the World Pro Tennis Championships." https://vault.si.com/vault/1957/04/22/a-class-reunion</ref> was an annual tournament, later known as MFS Pro Championships. It was first organized by player [[Vincent Richards]] when promoter [[C. C. Pyle]] withdrew interest in the project.  It was first played on the Notlek courts located at 119th Street and Riverside Drive, [[Manhattan]]. The tournament was held at various locations in several states until 1964, when it moved to the Longwood Cricket Club in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.<ref name="eot1974"/> In both 1951 and 1954 there are two U.S. Pro tournaments listed here for each year.
===French Pro Championship===
{{main article|French Pro Championship}}
The French Pro Championship was first held in 1930, held by the "Association Française des Professeurs de Tennis (AFPT)", entitled "Championnat International de France Professionnel" (French Pro Championships) on June 18–22, 1930.<ref name="Ltef">{{cite book | title=le Tennis en France 1875-1955 | publisher=Alan Sutton | author=Chevallier, Jean-Pierre | year=2007 | isbn=978-2849106266}}</ref>  From 1930 the French Pro Championship was always played at [[Paris]], on outdoor clay at [[Stade de Roland Garros|Roland Garros]] except from 1963 to 1967 where it was held at [[Stade Pierre de Coubertin (Paris)|Stade Pierre de Coubertin]] on indoor wood.
===Wembley Championship===
{{main article|Wembley Championship}}
The Wembley Championship, also known as the Wembley Pro, was held at the [[Wembley Arena]], in London. This professional event ran from 1934 to 1967 and was originally played on a wood surface placed over the top of a drained pool. It was officially known as the "London Indoor Professional Championships" from 1951 through 1967.<ref name="FV">{{cite web | url=http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_03_03_01.html | title=Forgotten Victories | accessdate=September 26, 2012}}</ref>
===List of professional major champions===
====Singles====
{| class="wikitable nowrap"
|-
! style="width:50px;"|Year
! style="width:200px;"| [[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships|U.S. Pro]]
! style="width:200px;"| [[French Pro Championship|French Pro]]
! style="width:200px;"| [[Wembley Championship|Wembley Pro]]
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1927 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Vincent Richards]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1927–1945#1927|1/4]])</small>|| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1928 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Vincent Richards]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1927–1945#1928|2/4]])</small>|| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1929 || {{flagicon|TCH}} [[Karel Koželuh]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1927–1945#1929|1/4]])</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1930 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Vincent Richards]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1927–1945#1930|3/4]])</small> || {{flagicon|TCH}} [[Karel Koželuh]] <small>([[French Pro Championship draws#1930|2/4]])</small>|| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1931 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bill Tilden]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1927–1945#1931|1/3]])</small>|| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Martin Plaa]] <small>([[French Pro Championship draws#1931|1/1]])</small>|| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1932 || {{flagicon|TCH}} [[Karel Koželuh]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1927–1945#1932|3/4]])</small>|| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Robert Ramillon]] <small>([[French Pro Championship draws#1932|1/1]])</small>|| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1933 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Vincent Richards]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1927–1945#1933|4/4]])</small>|| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1934 || {{flagicon|Germany|Nazi}} [[Hans Nüsslein]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1927–1945#1934|1/4]])</small> || {{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Bill Tilden]] <small>([[French Pro Championship draws#1934|2/3]])</small>|| {{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Ellsworth Vines]] <small>([[Wembley Professional Championships draws#1934|1/4]])</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1935 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bill Tilden]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1927–1945#1935|3/3]])</small>|| {{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Ellsworth Vines]] <small>([[French Pro Championship draws#1935|2/4]])</small>|| {{flagicon|United States|1912}} [[Ellsworth Vines]] <small>([[Wembley Professional Championships draws#1935|3/4]])</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1936 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Joe Whalen]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1927–1945#1936|1/1]])</small>|| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Henri Cochet]] <small>([[French Pro Championship draws#1936|1/1]])</small>|| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>{{efn|name=_1936_1938_Wembley|The Wembley Championships of 1936 and 1938 did not take place. The London Daily Mail of August 24th 1936 contained an article stating that the 1936 Wembley event would not take place due to Tilden and Vines being unavailable. Ray Bowers, in his History of professional tennis, says that 1936 and 1938 Wembley tournaments never occurred and offers substantiating evidence for his assertion.<ref name="ptw7">{{cite web | url=http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_04_07_25.html | title=History of the Pro Tennis Wars Chapter VII | accessdate=September 25, 2012}}</ref><ref name="ptw9">{{cite web | url=http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_05_07_30.html | title=History of the Pro Tennis Wars, Chapter IX | accessdate=September 25, 2012}}</ref>}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1937 || {{flagicon|TCH}} [[Karel Koželuh]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1927–1945#1937|4/4]])</small> {{efn|name=_1937_US|The 1937 US Pro was the first pro event open to amateur players and is considered as both the U.S. Pro Tennis Championship and first "true" U.S. Open event.}}|| {{flagicon|Germany|Nazi}} [[Hans Nüsslein]] <small>([[French Pro Championship draws#1937|2/4]])</small>|| {{flagicon|Germany|Nazi}} [[Hans Nüsslein]] <small>([[Wembley Professional Championships draws#1937|3/4]])</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1938 || {{flagicon|UK}} [[Fred Perry]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1927–1945#1938|1/2]])</small>|| {{flagicon|Germany|Nazi}} [[Hans Nüsslein]] <small>([[French Pro Championship draws#1938|4/4]])</small>|| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>{{efn|name=_1936_1938_Wembley}}
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1939 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Ellsworth Vines]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1927–1945#1939|4/4]])</small>|| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Don Budge]] <small>([[French Pro Championship draws#1939|2/4]])</small>|| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Don Budge]] <small>([[Wembley Professional Championships draws#1939|1/4]])</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1940 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Don Budge]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1927–1945#1940|3/4]])</small>|| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1941 || {{flagicon|UK}} [[Fred Perry]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1927–1945#1941|2/2]])</small>|| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1942 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Don Budge]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1927–1945#1942|4/4]])</small>|| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1943 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bruce Barnes (tennis player)|Bruce Barnes]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1927–1945#1943|1/1]])</small>|| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1944 || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1945 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Welby Van Horn]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1927–1945#1945|1/1]])</small>|| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1946 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bobby Riggs]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1946|1/3]])</small>|| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1947 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bobby Riggs]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1947|2/3]])</small>|| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1948 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Jack Kramer]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1948|1/2]])</small>|| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1949 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bobby Riggs]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1949|3/3]])</small>|| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>||{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Jack Kramer]] <small>([[Wembley Professional Championships draws#1949|2/2]])</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1950 || {{flagicon|Ecuador}} [[Pancho Segura]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1950|1/3]])</small>|| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>{{efn|name=_1950_1953_French|There were 4 man tournaments held in Paris in 1950, 1952 and 1953.  The 1950 and 1953 tournaments were held indoors, whilst the 1952 tournament was held on clay at Roland Garros.{{sfnp|McCauley|2000|ps=}}}}||{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]] <small>([[Wembley Professional Championships draws#1950|1/13]])</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1951{{efn|name=_1951|The championship events from 1951–1962, were billed as the International Pro or World Pro Championship. In 1951, a U.S. Pro was held at Forest Hills authorized by the USPLTA, and an International Pro was held at Cleveland. There was no USPLTA U.S. Pro event held in 1952 or 1953, but the International Pro was held at Cleveland in those years and was regarded as the U.S. Pro.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Philadelphia Inquirer, 20 December 1953|date=20 December 1953 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/177721805|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Corpus Christi Caller Times, 12 March 1953|date=12 March 1953 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/24128017|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4 April 1953|date=4 April 1953 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/172173553|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Tampa Tribune, 11 April 1953|date=11 April 1953 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/327692427|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Philadelphia Inquirer, 27 December 1953|date=27 December 1953 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/177683048|via=newspapers.com}}</ref> In 1954, the USPLTA authorized Kramer to hold the U.S. Pro at L.A. Tennis Club in Los Angeles (this was the successor tournament to the 1951 U.S. Pro at Forest Hills and Segura was the defending champion).<ref>The Los Angeles Times, 11 May 1954</ref> The International Pro and World Pro events at Cleveland from 1951–62 were not authorized by the USPLTA to be the U.S. Pro, and were not billed as such.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.addvantageuspta.com/default.aspx/act/newsletter.aspx/newsletterid/273/category/ADDvantage/MenuGroup/Public.htm | title=Renowned players grace USPTA Championships | publisher=USPTA | url-status=dead | accessdate=15 June 2019 | archive-date=5 June 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190605204758/https://www.addvantageuspta.com/default.aspx/act/newsletter.aspx/newsletterid/273/category/ADDvantage/MenuGroup/Public.htm }}</ref> The USPLTA were an organisation of teaching professionals and the touring professionals did enter U.S. Pro events in this period.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Philadelphia Inquirer, 20 December 1953|date=20 December 1953 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/177721805|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name="Harold E. Donohue 112">{{cite magazine |title=Pancho Gonzales: Mixed-Up Champion |magazine=Pageant |page=112|author=Harold E. Donohue |date=July 1956}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Corpus Christi Caller Times, 12 March 1953|date=12 March 1953 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/24128017|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4 April 1953|date=4 April 1953 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/172173553|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Tampa Tribune, 11 April 1953|date=11 April 1953 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/327692427|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Philadelphia Inquirer, 27 December 1953|date=27 December 1953 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/177683048|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Times (Shreveport), 16 February 1956|date=16 February 1956 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/211499925|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Star Press (Muncie), 18 March 1957|date=18 March 1957 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/251855716|via=newspapers.com}}</ref> In some interviews in the 1950s, Gonzales and Segura referred to the Cleveland World Pro as "the National" or the "U.S. National Professional Championships".<ref>Man with a racket: The autobiography of Pancho Gonzales (1959), p.111</ref> There were many newspaper and magazine articles in the 1950s that also referred to Cleveland events as U.S. Pro.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Philadelphia Inquirer, 20 December 1953|date=20 December 1953 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/177721805|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name="Harold E. Donohue 112"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Corpus Christi Caller Times, 12 March 1953|date=12 March 1953 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/24128017|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4 April 1953|date=4 April 1953 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/172173553|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Tampa Tribune, 11 April 1953|date=11 April 1953 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/327692427|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Philadelphia Inquirer, 27 December 1953|date=27 December 1953 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/177683048|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Times (Shreveport), 16 February 1956|date=16 February 1956 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/211499925|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Star Press (Muncie), 18 March 1957|date=18 March 1957 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/251855716|via=newspapers.com}}</ref>}}
|| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Frank Kovacs]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#Cleveland|1/1]])</small><br/>(Cleveland)<br />{{flagicon|Ecuador}} [[Pancho Segura]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#Forest Hills|2/3]])</small><br/>(Forest Hills) || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>||{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]] <small>([[Wembley Professional Championships draws#1951|2/13]])</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1952 || {{flagicon|Ecuador}} [[Pancho Segura]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1952|3/3]])</small>|| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>{{efn|name=_1950_1953_French}}||{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]] <small>([[Wembley Professional Championships draws#1952|3/13]])</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1953 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1953|4/13]])</small> ||style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>{{efn|name=_1950_1953_French}}||{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Frank Sedgman]] <small>([[Wembley Professional Championships draws#1953|1/2]])</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1954 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1954|5/13]])</small><br/>(Cleveland)<br /> {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1954|6/13]])</small><br />(Los Angeles) || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1955 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1955|7/13]])</small>|| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1956 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1956|8/13]])</small>||{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Tony Trabert]] <small>([[French Pro Championship draws#1956|1/2]])</small>||{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]] <small>([[Wembley Professional Championships draws#1956|9/13]])</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1957 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1957|10/13]])</small>|| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na"| <small>no competition</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]] <small>([[Wembley Professional Championships draws#1957|1/15]])</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1958 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1958|11/13]])</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]] <small>([[French Pro Championship draws#1958|2/15]])</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Frank Sedgman]] <small>([[Wembley Professional Championships draws#1958|2/2]])</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1959 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1959|12/13]])</small>|| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Tony Trabert]] <small>([[French Pro Championship draws#1959|2/2]])</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Mal Anderson]] <small>([[Wembley Professional Championships draws#1959|1/1]])</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1960 || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Alex Olmedo]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1960|1/1]])</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]] <small>([[French Pro Championship draws#1959|3/15]])</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]] <small>([[Wembley Professional Championships draws#1960|4/15]])</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1961 || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Pancho Gonzales]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1961|13/13]])</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]] <small>([[French Pro Championship draws#1961|5/15]])</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]] <small>([[Wembley Professional Championships draws#1961|6/15]])</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1962 || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Butch Buchholz]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1962|1/1]])</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]] <small>([[French Pro Championship draws#1961|7/15]])</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]] <small>([[Wembley Professional Championships draws#1962|8/15]])</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1963 || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1963|9/15]])</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]] <small>([[French Pro Championship draws#1963|10/15]])</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]] <small>([[Wembley Professional Championships draws#1963|11/15]])</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1964 || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rod Laver]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1963|1/8]])</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]] <small>([[French Pro Championship draws#1964|12/15]])</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rod Laver]] <small>([[Wembley Professional Championships draws#1964|2/8]])</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1965 || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1965|13/15]])</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]] <small>([[French Pro Championship draws#1965|14/15]])</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rod Laver]] <small>([[Wembley Professional Championships draws#1965|3/8]])</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1966 || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rod Laver]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1966|4/8]])</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]] <small>([[French Pro Championship draws#1966|15/15]])</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rod Laver]] <small>([[Wembley Professional Championships draws#1966|5/8]])</small>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|1967 || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rod Laver]] <small>([[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships draws, 1946–1967#1967|6/8]])</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rod Laver]] <small>([[French Pro Championship draws#1967|7/8]])</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rod Laver]] <small>([[Wembley Professional Championships draws#1967|8/8]])</small>
|}
{{notelist}}
<!--
THESE NOTES HAVE BEEN COPIED UP INTO THE TABLE ABOVE AS PART OF {{efn}} TAGS AND ARE AUTOMATICALLY DISPLAYED WITH HYPERLINKS USING THE {{notelist}} TEMPLATE ABOVE. THEY ARE LEFT HERE WITHIN THESE COMMENT TAGS PURELY AS LEGACY MARK-UP FOR EASY REFERENCE:
#The status of the 1933 French Pro is unclear. In History of the Pro Tennis Wars, by Ray Bowers, there is no mention of a French Pro tournament in 1933. The only professional competition played that year at Roland Garros was a USA-France meeting, September 22–24, in the Davis Cup format. Many sources probably wrongly considered the Tilden-Cochet match as a final of a supposed French Pro.
#The Wembley Championships of 1936 and 1938 did not take place. The London Daily Mail of August 24th 1936 contained an article stating that the 1936 Wembley event would not take place due to Tilden and Vines being unavailable. Ray Bowers, in his History of professional tennis, says that 1936 and 1938 Wembley tournaments never occurred and offers substantiating evidence for his assertion. <ref name="ptw7">{{cite web | url=http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_04_07_25.html | title=History of the Pro Tennis Wars Chapter VII | accessdate=September 25, 2012}}</ref><ref name="ptw9">{{cite web | url=http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_05_07_30.html | title=History of the Pro Tennis Wars, Chapter IX: | accessdate=September 25, 2012}}</ref>
# The 1937 US Pro was the first pro event open to amateur players and is considered as both the U.S. Pro Tennis Championship and first "true" U.S. Open event.
#The championship events from 1951–1962, were billed as the International Pro or World Pro Championship. In 1951, a U.S. Pro was held at Forest Hills authorized by the USPLTA, and an International Pro was held at Cleveland. There was no USPLTA U.S. Pro event held in 1952 or 1953, but the International Pro was held at Cleveland in those years and was regarded as the U.S. Pro.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Philadelphia Inquirer, 20 December 1953|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/177721805|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Corpus Christi Caller Times, 12 March 1953|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/24128017|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4 April 1953|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/172173553|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Tampa Tribune, 11 April 1953|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/327692427|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Philadelphia Inquirer, 27 December 1953|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/177683048|via=newspapers.com}}</ref> In 1954, the USPLTA authorized Kramer to hold the U.S. Pro at L.A. Tennis Club in Los Angeles (this was the successor tournament to the 1951 U.S. Pro at Forest Hills and Segura was the defending champion).<ref>The Los Angeles Times, 11 May 1954</ref> The International Pro and World Pro events at Cleveland from 1951–62 were not authorized by the USPLTA to be the U.S. Pro, and were not billed as such.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.addvantageuspta.com/default.aspx/act/newsletter.aspx/newsletterid/273/category/ADDvantage/MenuGroup/Public.htm | title=Renowned players grace USPTA Championships | publisher=USPTA | accessdate=15 June 2019}}</ref> The USPLTA were an organisation of teaching professionals and the touring professionals did enter U.S. Pro events in this period.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Philadelphia Inquirer, 20 December 1953|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/177721805|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Pancho Gonzales: Mixed-Up Champion |work=Pageant |page=112|author=Harold E. Donohue |date=July 1956}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Corpus Christi Caller Times, 12 March 1953|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/24128017|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4 April 1953|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/172173553|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Tampa Tribune, 11 April 1953|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/327692427|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Philadelphia Inquirer, 27 December 1953|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/177683048|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Times (Shreveport), 16 February 1956|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/211499925|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Star Press (Muncie), 18 March 1957|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/251855716|via=newspapers.com}}</ref> In some interviews in the 1950s, Gonzales and Segura referred to the Cleveland World Pro as "the National" or the "U.S. National Professional Championships"<ref>Man with a racket: The autobiography of Pancho Gonzales (1959), p.111</ref>. There were many newspaper and magazine articles in the 1950s that also referred to Cleveland events as U.S. Pro.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Philadelphia Inquirer, 20 December 1953|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/177721805|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Pancho Gonzales: Mixed-Up Champion |work=Pageant |page=112|author=Harold E. Donohue |date=July 1956}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Corpus Christi Caller Times, 12 March 1953|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/24128017|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4 April 1953|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/172173553|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Tampa Tribune, 11 April 1953|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/327692427|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Philadelphia Inquirer, 27 December 1953|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/177683048|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Times (Shreveport), 16 February 1956|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/211499925|via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Star Press (Muncie), 18 March 1957|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/251855716|via=newspapers.com}}</ref>
#There were 4 man tournaments held in Paris in 1950, 1952 and 1953.  The 1950 and 1953 tournaments were held indoors, whilst the 1952 tournament was held on clay at Roland Garros.{{sfnp|McCauley|2000|ps=}}
-->
====Doubles====
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width: 55%"
|-
! style="width:50px;" |Year
! style="width:200px;" | [[U.S. Pro Tennis Championships|U.S. Pro]]
! style="width:200px;" | [[Wembley Championship|Wembley Pro]]
! style="width:200px;" | [[French Pro Championship|French Pro]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1929 || {{flagicon|TCH}} [[Karel Koželuh]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Vincent Richards|Vinny Richards]]
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1930 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Howard Kinsey]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Vincent Richards]]
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>|| {{flagicon|TCH}} [[Karel Koželuh]]<br />{{flagicon|GER|1919}} [[Roman Najuch]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1931 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Howard Kinsey]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Vincent Richards]]
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small> ||
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1932 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bruce Barnes (tennis)|Bruce Barnes]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bill Tilden]]
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small> ||
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1933 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Vincent Richards]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} Charles Wood
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1934 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bruce Barnes (tennis)|Bruce Barnes]]<br />{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Emmett Paré]]
| ||
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1935 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[George Lott]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Lester Stoefen]]
| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bill Tilden]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Ellsworth Vines]]
| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bill Tilden]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Ellsworth Vines]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1936 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Harold Blauer]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} Charles Wood
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small> || {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Henri Cochet]]<br />{{flagicon|IRL}} [[Albert Burke (tennis)|Albert Burke]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1937 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[George Lott]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Vincent Richards]]
| {{flagicon|Germany|Nazi}} [[Hans Nüsslein]]<br />{{flagicon|France}} [[Martin Plaa]]
| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Lester Stoefen]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bill Tilden]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1938 || {{flagicon|UK}} [[Fred Perry]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Vincent Richards]]
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small> || {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Martin Plaa]]<br />{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Robert Ramillon]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1939 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bruce Barnes (tennis)|Bruce Barnes]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Keith Gledhill]]
| || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Don Budge]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Ellsworth Vines]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1940 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Don Budge]]<br />{{flagicon|UK}} [[Fred Perry]]
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1941 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Don Budge]]<br />{{flagicon|UK}} [[Fred Perry]]
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1942 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Don Budge]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bobby Riggs]]
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1943 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bruce Barnes (tennis)|Bruce Barnes]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Gene Mako]]
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1944 || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1945 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Vincent Richards]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bill Tilden]]
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1946 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Frank Kovacs]]<br />{{flagicon|UK}} [[Fred Perry]]
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1947 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Don Budge]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bobby Riggs]]
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1948 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Jack Kramer]]<br />{{flagicon|ECU}} [[Pancho Segura]]
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1949 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Don Budge]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Frank Kovacs]]
|  {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Jack Kramer]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bobby Riggs]]
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1950 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Frank Kovacs]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Welby Van Horn]]
|{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Don Budge]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]]
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1951
|| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]]<br />{{flagicon|ECU}} [[Pancho Segura]]{{Break}}(Forest Hills)
|{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]]<br />{{flagicon|ECU}} [[Pancho Segura]]
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1952 || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>||{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]]<br />{{flagicon|ECU}} [[Pancho Segura]]
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1953 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Don Budge]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]]
| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Don Budge]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Frank Sedgman]]
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1954 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]]<br />{{flagicon|ECU}} [[Pancho Segura]]{{Break}}(Cleveland){{Break}}{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Frank Sedgman]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Jack Kramer]]{{Break}}(Los Angeles)
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1955 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Jack Kramer]]<br />{{flagicon|ECU}} [[Pancho Segura]]
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small> || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1956 || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rex Hartwig]]<br />{{flagicon|USA}} [[Tony Trabert]]
| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Tony Trabert]]
| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Tony Trabert]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1957 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]]
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Lew Hoad]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]]
| style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1958 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]]<br />{{flagicon|ECU}} [[Pancho Segura]]
| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]]
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Lew Hoad]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Tony Trabert]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1959 || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Lew Hoad]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Tony Trabert]]
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Lew Hoad]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Tony Trabert]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1960 || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ashley Cooper (tennis)|Ashley Cooper]]<br />{{flagicon|USA}} [[Alex Olmedo]]
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Frank Sedgman]]
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Lew Hoad]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Tony Trabert]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1961 || {{flagicon|ESP|1945}} [[Andrés Gimeno]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Frank Sedgman]]
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Lew Hoad]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]]
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Lew Hoad]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1962 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Butch Buchholz]]<br />{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Barry MacKay]]
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Lew Hoad]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]]
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Lew Hoad]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1963 || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rod Laver]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]]
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Alex Olmedo]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Frank Sedgman]]
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Lew Hoad]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1964 || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Lew Hoad]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]]
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Lew Hoad]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1965 || style="background:#ececec; color:gray; text-align:center;" class="table-na" | <small>no competition</small>|| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Butch Buchholz]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rod Laver]]
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Mal Anderson]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1966 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Butch Buchholz]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rod Laver]]
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Lew Hoad]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]]
| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Butch Buchholz]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rod Laver]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1967 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Dennis Ralston]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]]
| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rod Laver]]<br />{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Fred Stolle]]
| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Pierre Barthès]]<br />{{flagicon|ESP|1945}} [[Andrés Gimeno]]
|}
Source:{{sfnp|McCauley|2000|pages=256-257}}
==Other important tournaments==
[[The Championships, Wimbledon|The Championships at Wimbledon]], the [[US Open (tennis)|U.S. Championships]], the [[French Open|French Championships]], and the [[Australian Open|Australian Championships]] were typically the top events, where amateur players could compete for the title, albeit without prize money. Since the professional circuit was less organized and somewhat less popular than the amateur circuit, the professional events hierarchy changed each year. In 1934 the U.S. Pro was a high-class tournament with all top ranked pro players whereas in 1936 it was a meeting between pro teachers without any leading pro players. A tournament could even be canceled at any time due to poor attendance.
Consequently, for a given year a pro tournament was important when it attracted the best pro players and then another year this same tournament could be a second-rank tournament because few or no leading players came. Before the open era in addition to numerous small tournaments and [[Tennis Pro Tours|head-to-head tours]] between the leading professionals, there were some major tournaments which stood out at different periods. Some survived sporadically because of financial collapses while others temporarily rose to the highest levels of competition when other tournaments weren't held. These include:
===Bristol Cup: 1920–1932===
{{main article|Bristol Cup}}
Sometimes labelled "Professional Championships of France" this tournament was held on the French Riviera at Menton, at Cannes.<ref name="chapter2">{{cite web |last=Bowers |first=Ray |title=History of the Pro Tennis Wars, Chapter 2, part 1: 1927-1928 |url=http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_01_03_01.html |website=tennisserver.com}}</ref>
===Professional Championship of the World: 1927–1928===
{{main article|Queen's Club Pro}}
This event was held in October on clay courts, at the Queen's Club in London. In 1928 Myers of the Daily Telegraph wrote that "this was the best pro tournament ever held in England."<ref name="chapter2" />
'''List of Queen's Club Pro winners:'''
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
!style="width:180px"|Champion
!style="width:180px"|Runner-up
!style="width:150px"|Score
|-
| 1927 || {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Dan Maskell]] || {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Charles Read (squash player)|Charles R Read]] || 6–3, 6–3, 6–4
|-
| 1928 || {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Robert Ramillon]] || {{flagicon|IRE}} Edmund Burke || 6–1, 6–3, 5–7, 6–4
|}
===World Pro Championship: 1932–1933===
{{main article|German Pro Championships{{!}}World Pro Championships}}
The World Pro Championship were held in 1932 and 1933 in Berlin at the Rot-Weiss club, on clay. It had a very large participation (over 80 players). According to Ray Bowers, the tournament at the time was regarded as the most prestigious professional tournament in the world.<ref name="chapter4">{{cite web |last=Bowers |first=Ray |title=History of the Pro Tennis Wars Chapter IV: Tilden and Nusslein, 1932-1933 |url=http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_02_10_05.html |website=tennisserver.com}}</ref>
'''List of World Pro winners:'''
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:100%"
|-
!Year
!style="width:180px"|Champion
!style="width:180px"|Runner-up
|-
| 1932|| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Martin Plaa]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bill Tilden]]
|-
| 1933|| {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Hans Nüsslein]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bill Tilden]]
|}
===Bonnardel Cup: 1935–1937===
This was a team tournament created by Bill Tilden and modeled on the [[Davis Cup]] format. In 1935, early rounds in France were hoped to be played at Roland Garros,<ref>{{cite news |date=15 December 1933 |title=Professional Davis Cup Is Created; 9 Countries to Compete for Trophy |volume=IX |page=7 |newspaper=[[The Tribune (Philippines)|The Tribune]] |issue=220 |location=International, Australia |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article249609128 |via=National Library of Australia |accessdate=25 April 2022}}</ref> but the French Tennis Association would not allow the event to be played at the stadium.<ref name="chapter6">{{cite web |last=Bowers |first=Ray |title=History of the Pro Tennis Wars, Chapter VI: Vines's Second Year: 1935 |url=https://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_03_12_01.html |website=tennisserver.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46680120 | title=Professional Tennis Ban | year=1935 | agency=Barrier Miner | accessdate=September 26, 2012}}</ref>
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!style="width:180px"|Champions
|-
|1935||{{flagicon|FRA}} France
|-
|1936||{{flagicon|USA}} United States
|-
|1937||{{flagicon|FRA}} France
|}
===International Pro Championship of Britain: 1935–1939===
{{main article|International Pro Championship of Britain}}
The International Pro Championship of Britain (also known as the Southport Pro, as well as the Southport Dunlop Cup for sponsorship purposes) was a professional tennis tournament held at Victoria Park in Southport between 1935 and 1939. It was open to professional players only, amateurs were not allowed to compete. The tournament was held on outdoor [[Clay court#En tout cas|En-tout-cas]], "all-weather" artificial clay.<ref name="chapter6"/>
'''List of International Pro Championship of Britain winners:'''
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
!style="width:180px"|Champion
!style="width:180px"|Runner-up
!style="width:200px"|Score
|-
| 1935 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Ellsworth Vines]] || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bill Tilden]] || 6–1, 6–8, 4–6, 6–2, 6–2<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_03_12_01.html |title=Forgotten Victories: History of the Pro Tennis Wars, Chapter VI: Vines's Second Year: 1935 |website=tennisserver.com |date= |accessdate=2011-08-07}}</ref>
|-
| 1936 || {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Hans Nüsslein]] || {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Henri Cochet]] || ''([[Glossary of tennis terms#Round Robin|Round Robin]])''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_04_07_25.html |title=History of the Pro Tennis Wars, Chapter VII: Awaiting Perry, 1936 |website=tennisserver.com |date= |accessdate=2011-08-07}}</ref>
|-
| 1937 || {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Hans Nüsslein]] || {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Robert Ramillon]] || 6–4, 6–3, 2–6, 6–4<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_04_12_03.html |title=History of the Pro Tennis Wars, Chapter VIII: Perry and Vines, 1937 |website=tennisserver.com |date= |accessdate=2011-08-07}}</ref>
|-
| 1938 || {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Hans Nüsslein]] || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bill Tilden]] ||''([[Glossary of tennis terms#Round Robin|Round Robin]])''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_05_07_30.html |title=History of the Pro Tennis Wars, Chapter IX: Readying for Budge, 1938 |website=tennisserver.com |date= |accessdate=2011-08-07}}</ref>
|-
| 1939 || {{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} [[Hans Nüsslein]] || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bill Tilden]] || 6–2, 7–5, 6–4 <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_05_11_22.html |title=Forgotten Victories: History of the Pro Tennis Wars 1926-1945, Chapter X: Budge's Great Pro Year, 1939 |website=tennisserver.com |date= |accessdate=2011-08-07}}</ref>
|}
{|class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
|-
!
!style="width:172px"|Doubles Champions
!style="width:172px"|Runners-up
!style="width:200px"|Score
|-
| 1935 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bill Tilden]]<br>{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Ellsworth Vines]] || {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Martin Plaa]]<br>{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Robert Ramillon]] || 7–5, 6–8, 5–7, 6–1, 6–3
|-
| 1936 || {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Henri Cochet]]<br>{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Robert Ramillon]] || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Lester Stoefen]]<br>{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bill Tilden]] ||''([[Glossary of tennis terms#Round Robin|Round Robin]])''
|-
| 1937 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Lester Stoefen]]<br>{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bill Tilden]] || {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Martin Plaa]]<br>{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Robert Ramillon]] || 8–6, 17–15, 8–6
|-
| 1939 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Don Budge]]<br>{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Ellsworth Vines]] || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Lester Stoefen]]<br>{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bill Tilden]] || 6–2, 7–9, 7–5, 8–6
|}
===U.S. Pro Hard Courts: 1945–1946===
In LA; the only significant pro tournament of the last year of World War II, although missing Frank Kovacs and Welby Van Horn.{{citation needed|date=April 2022}}
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!style="width:180px"|Champion
|-
|1945||{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bobby Riggs]]
|-
|1946||{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Bobby Riggs]]
|}
===Philadelphia U.S. Pro Indoor: 1950–1952 ===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!style="width:180px"|Champion{{citation needed|date=April 2022}}
|-
|1950||{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]]
|-
|1951||{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Jack Kramer]]
|-
|1952||{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]]
|}
===Australian Pro: 1954===
{{main article|Australian Pro}}
The Australian Pro was a men's professional tournament held in 1954 and it was billed as the Australian Professional Championships.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12642886 |title=Pro. title goes to Sedgman |newspaper=[[The Sun-Herald]]  |date=28 November 1954  |page=40 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
===Tournament of Champions: 1957–1959===
{{main article|Tournament of Champions (tennis)}}
The Tournament of Champions was a prominent professional tennis tournament series between 1957 and 1959. The tournament was held on the grass-courts of Forest Hills, New York, between 1957 and 1959, and an Australian version of the Tournament of Champions was held on grass at [[White City Stadium (Sydney)|White City]], [[Sydney]] in 1957 and 1959, and at [[Kooyong Stadium]] in [[Melbourne]] in 1958. The 1957 and 1958 Forest Hills tournaments had a round robin format, while the 1959 Forest Hills was an elimination tournament with 10 players. The Sydney version was an elimination event, while the 1958 Kooyong event was a round robin format.
The 1957 Forest Hills Tournament of Champions was broadcast live nationally in the U.S.A. on the CBS television network in its entirety, the only known professional tennis tournament in the U.S.A. to achieve this status before the Open Era. (The CBS Dallas pro tennis tournament in 1965 was filmed and broadcast one match at a time in a weekly series.) The 1959 Forest Hills Tournament of Champions offered the largest winners' cheques of the year. The current designation by the West Side Tennis Club of the 1957–59 Forest Hills TOC is "WCT Tournament of Champions".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thewestsidetennisclub.com/history-timeline/|title=History Timeline}}</ref> Kramer's contemporary brochures described the Ampol series, of which the 1959 Forest Hills TOC was a part, with the term "World Championship Tennis".<ref>Kramer 1959 tour fall brochure. https://douglasstewart.com.au/product/jack-kramer-presents-world-championship-tennis/</ref>
The 1958 Kooyong Tournament of Champions was the richest tournament of the series, with a prize money of 10,000 Australian pounds (US$24,000).
'''List of Tournament of Champions winners:'''<br/>
'''Forest Hills (New York)'''
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!style="width:180px"|Champion
!style="width:180px"|Runner-up
!style="width:150px"|Score
|-
| 1957 || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Pancho Gonzales]]{{sfnp|McCauley|2000|pp=75–77, 206|ps=}}|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Frank Sedgman]] ||''([[Glossary of tennis terms#Round Robin|Round Robin]])''
|-
| 1958 || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Pancho Gonzales]]{{sfnp|McCauley|2000|pp=84, 209|ps=}}|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]]||''([[Glossary of tennis terms#Round Robin|Round Robin]])''
|-
| 1959 || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Lew Hoad]]{{sfnp|McCauley|2000|pp=93, 212–213|ps=}}|| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Pancho Gonzales]]|| 6–1, 5–7, 6–2, 6–1
|}
'''White City (Sydney) and Kooyong (Melbourne)'''
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!style="width:180px"|Champion
!style="width:180px"|Runner-up
!style="width:150px"|Score
|-
| 1957 ||{{flagicon|Ecuador}} [[Pancho Segura]] || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Frank Sedgman]] || 7–5, 6–0, 6–4
|-
| 1958 ||{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Lew Hoad]]<ref>{{cite news
|title=Hoad defeats Sedgman to take Tourney
|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/91256630?browse=ndp%3Abrowse%2Ftitle%2FC%2Ftitle%2F11%2F1958%2F01%2F31%2Fpage%2F7149367%2Farticle%2F91256630
|accessdate= 28 November 2019
|work=Canberra Times
|date=31 January 1958
|pages=16
|via=[[National Library of Australia]]}}</ref>
|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Frank Sedgman]] ||''([[Glossary of tennis terms#Round Robin|Round Robin]])''
|-
| 1959 ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Pancho Gonzales]] || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Lew Hoad]] ||11–9, 6–1, 6–1
|}
===Masters Pro: 1956–1965===
{{main article|Masters Pro}}
Round Robin in Los Angeles, held from 1956 to 1960, and again in 1964, 1965, and 1967.
The Ampol Masters Pro was held at White City in Sydney in 1958.
'''Masters Pro winners:'''
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!style="width:180px"|Champion
!style="width:180px"|Runner-up
!style="width:150px"|Score
|-
| 1956 ||{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]] || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Frank Sedgman]] ||''([[Glossary of tennis terms#Round Robin|Round Robin]])''
|-
| 1957 ||{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]] || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Frank Sedgman]] ||''([[Glossary of tennis terms#Round Robin|Round Robin]])''
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1958 ||{{flagicon|Ecuador}} [[Pancho Segura]]<br/>(L.A. Tennis Club)
| {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]] ||''([[Glossary of tennis terms#Round Robin|Round Robin]])''
|-
|{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Frank Sedgman]]<br/>(Sydney White City) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tony Trabert]] || 3–6, 4–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–4
|-
| 1959 ||{{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]] || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Lew Hoad]] ||''([[Glossary of tennis terms#Round Robin|Round Robin]])''
|-
| 1960 ||{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]]||||
|-
| 1964 ||{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]]  || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Frank Sedgman]] || 6–2, 6–4
|-
| 1965 ||{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rod Laver]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Pancho Gonzales]] || 3–6, 6–3, 7–5
|}
===Kramer Cup: 1961–1963===
A team format tournament.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Kramer Cup Runneth All Over The Court |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1961/11/20/the-kramer-cup-runneth-all-over-the-court |publisher=Sports Illustrated |date=Nov 20, 1961}}</ref>
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!style="width:180px"|Champions
|-
|1961||{{flagicon|AUS}} Australia
|-
|1962||{{flagicon|AUS}} Australia
|-
|1963||{{flagicon|AUS}} Australia
|}
===Madison Square Garden Pro: 1966–1967===
{{main article|Madison Square Garden Pro}}
'''Madison Square Garden Pro winners:'''
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!style="width:180px"|Champion
!style="width:180px"|Runner-up
!style="width:150px"|Score
|-
| 1954 || {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Pancho Gonzales]] || {{flagicon|Ecuador}} [[Pancho Segura]] || 7–9, 6–4, 6–4
|-
| 1966 || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]] || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rod Laver]] || 6–3, 6–3
|-
| 1967 || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rod Laver]] || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]] || 6–4, 6–4
|-
| 1968 || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Tony Roche]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Pancho Gonzales]] || 6–3, 6–4
|-
| 1969 || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rod Laver]] || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Roy Emerson]] || 6–2, 4–6, 6–1
|}
===Forest Hills Pro: 1966===
The '''Forest Hills Pro''' was held in June 1966 on the grass courts of the [[West Side Tennis Club]] using the VASSS Scoring System.{{citation needed|date=April 2022}}
'''Forest Hills Pro winner:'''
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!style="width:180px"|Champion
|-
|1966||{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rod Laver]]
|}
===Wimbledon Pro: 1967===
{{main article|Wimbledon Pro}}
The Wimbledon World Professional Championship, also known as the '''Wimbledon Pro''', was held in August 1967. It was first time that professional tennis players played on [[Centre Court]] at Wimbledon.<ref>{{cite book |last=Barrett |first=John |url=https://archive.org/details/wimbledonofficia0000barr |title=Wimbledon: The Official History |date=2014 |publisher=Vision Sports Publishing |isbn=9-781909-534230 |edition=4th |author-link=John Barrett (tennis) |url-access=registration |page=122}}</ref> The tournament was sponsored and broadcast by the BBC to mark the invention of colour television.<ref>{{Cite web |title=First regular colour television programme |date=22 June 2013 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01bs2df |publisher=[[BBC]]}}</ref>
'''Wimbledon Pro winner:'''
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!style="width:180px"|Champion
!style="width:180px"|Runner-up
!style="width:150px"|Score
|-
| 1967|| {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Rod Laver]] || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Ken Rosewall]] || 6–2, 6–2, 12–10
|}
==References==
{{reflist}}
==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|last=McCauley|first=Joe|title=The History of Professional Tennis|year=2000|publisher=The Short Run Book Company Limited|location=Windsor}}
==External links==
* History of the Pro Tennis Wars
** [http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_99_10_31.html Chapter I: Suzanne Lenglen and the First Pro Tour]
** [http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_01_03_01.html Chapter II, Part 1: The eminence of Karel Kozeluh and Vincent Richards 1927–1928]
** [http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_01_04_01.html Chapter II, Part 2: Deja vu 1929–1930]
** [http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_02_03_03.html Chapter III: Tilden's Year of Triumph in 1931]
** [http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_02_10_05.html Chapter IV: Tilden and Nusslein, 1932–1933]
** [http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_03_03_01.html Chapter V: The Early Ascendancy of Vines, 1934]
** [http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_03_12_01.html Chapter VI: Vines's Second Year: 1935]
** [http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_04_07_25.html Chapter VII: Awaiting Perry, 1936]
** [http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_04_12_03.html Chapter VIII: Perry and Vines, 1937]
** [http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_05_07_30.html Chapter IX: Readying for Budge, 1938]
** [http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_05_11_22.html Chapter X: Budge's Great Pro Year, 1939]
** [http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_06_10_01.html Chapter XI: America, 1940–1941]
** [http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_07_03_19.html Chapter XI: America, 1942]
** [http://www.tennisserver.com/lines/lines_07_10_27.html Chapter XII: The High War Years, 1943–1945]
{{Grand Slam Tournaments}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Major Professional Tennis Tournaments Before The Open Era}}
[[Category:Tennis records and statistics]]
[[Category:Professional tennis before the Open Era|T]]
[[Category:Professional tennis tournaments before the Open Era| ]]