U.S. Pro Tennis Championships
Encyclopedia
The U.S. Pro Tennis Championships (also for a period known as the World Pro Championships) was the oldest professional tennis tournament played until its final year of 1999 and is considered as a part of the professional grand slam from 1927 - 1967 until the advent of Open Era
. Pancho Gonzales
holds the record for most wins with eight.
American's first prominent professional player, Vinny Richards, arranged what became the first U.S. Pro by negotiating with Doc Kelton to have a tournament played on the Notlek courts, located at 119th Street and Riverside Drive in Manhattan
, New York
, on September 23–25, 1927. Richards, tour pro Howard Kinsey
and teaching pros from the eastern U.S. comprised the field, with Richards defeating Kinsey in the final in straight sets.
The tournament was subsequently held annually at various locations including the West Side Tennis Club
in Forest Hills
, New York City, the South Shore Tennis Club in Chicago
, in Rye, New York
, at the Terrace Club
in Brooklyn, the Chicago Town and Tennis Club in Chicago, at various clubs around Cleveland, Ohio
, and Cleveland Arena
in Cleveland. Its final permanent home was the Longwood Cricket Club
in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
, where it was held from 1964 to 1999. It became part of the Grand Prix Tennis Tour shortly after the advent of open tennis in 1968. Between 1970 and 1977 its was a major tournament of the Grand Prix Championship Series
. It then became a tennis event within the ATP Tour with reorganization of the top tier of pro tour tennis.
At Longwood, the tournament was first played on a hardcourt
. It was later played on Har-Tru clay courts and was an important tune-up event for the U.S. Open
. When the Open moved to hardcourts in Flushing Meadows in 1978, the U.S. Pro did not follow suit, electing instead to hold its tournament during the U.S. clay court season in early summer instead of during its hitherto pre-Open (late summer) time slot. Remaining a clay event into the 1990s, the U.S. Pro was a non-ATP exhibition event during the early 1990s. It was only in its final three years that the tournament was once again an ATP event and played on hardcourts.
Notes:
a This tournament, the first pro event open to amateur players, is considered by some as both the U.S. Pro Tennis Championship and first "U.S. Open" event (then the U.S. Open was again held from 1938 to 1941 at Greenbrier but as a separate event from the U.S. Pro held in Chicago or in L.A).
b These tournaments from 1950–1962, considered as the U.S. Pro for the season, were billed the World Pro Championship with the exception of 1951, where a separate U.S. Pro and World Pro in Cleveland were held.
r For 1951, the tournament was played under Round Robin format with Seguara 4-0 and Gonzalez 3-1 as final standings.
v For 1955-56, the matches were played under Van Alen
scoring system.
c From 1990 to 1995, the U.S. Pro event appears to have been an exhibition and not part of the ATP tour.
Open era
Open era or Open Era may refer to:* Open Era , the period since 1968 where professionals can compete in Grand Slams* Glasnost era, the increased openness in the Soviet Union from the mid-1980s...
. Pancho Gonzales
Pancho Gonzales
Ricardo Alonso González , generally known as Richard "Pancho" Gonzales was an American tennis player. He was the world no. 1 professional tennis player for an unequalled eight years in the 1950s and early 1960s...
holds the record for most wins with eight.
American's first prominent professional player, Vinny Richards, arranged what became the first U.S. Pro by negotiating with Doc Kelton to have a tournament played on the Notlek courts, located at 119th Street and Riverside Drive in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, on September 23–25, 1927. Richards, tour pro Howard Kinsey
Howard Kinsey
Howard Kinsey was an American tennis player in the 1920s who won a number of championships...
and teaching pros from the eastern U.S. comprised the field, with Richards defeating Kinsey in the final in straight sets.
The tournament was subsequently held annually at various locations including the West Side Tennis Club
West Side Tennis Club
The West Side Tennis Club is a private tennis club located in Forest Hills, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is currently an oasis within the City with 38 courts in all four surfaces , a junior Olympic swimming pool and many other amenities.It is most notable for hosting...
in Forest Hills
Forest Hills, Queens
Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States.-Neighborhood:The neighborhood is home to upper-middle class residents, of whom the wealthier residents often live in the neighborhood's Forest Hills Gardens area...
, New York City, the South Shore Tennis Club in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, in Rye, New York
Rye (city), New York
Rye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the town of Rye, which is larger than the city. Rye city, formerly the village of Rye, was part of the town until 1942, when it received its charter as a city, the most recent to be issued in New York...
, at the Terrace Club
Terrace Club
Terrace F. Club is one of the ten current eating clubs at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Terrace was founded in 1904 as the twelfth club at Princeton...
in Brooklyn, the Chicago Town and Tennis Club in Chicago, at various clubs around Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, and Cleveland Arena
Cleveland Arena
Cleveland Arena was an arena in Cleveland, Ohio. It was built and privately financed by local businessman Albert C. Sutphin during the height of the Great Depression in 1937 as a playing site for Sutphin's AHL team, the Cleveland Barons. Later it hosted Sutphin's BAA's Cleveland Rebels and Nick...
in Cleveland. Its final permanent home was the Longwood Cricket Club
Longwood Cricket Club
Longwood Cricket Club is a tennis and former cricket club based in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. It is the site of the first Davis Cup competition.-History:...
in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Chestnut Hill is a wealthy New England village located six miles west of downtown Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Like all Massachusetts villages, Chestnut Hill is not an incorporated municipal entity, but unlike most of them, it encompasses parts of three separate municipalities, each of...
, where it was held from 1964 to 1999. It became part of the Grand Prix Tennis Tour shortly after the advent of open tennis in 1968. Between 1970 and 1977 its was a major tournament of the Grand Prix Championship Series
Grand Prix Tennis Championship Series 1970-1989
The Championship Series of nine tennis tournaments, formed part of the Grand Prix and World Championship Tennis tours, and were held annually throughout the year in Europe, North America, Africa and Asia...
. It then became a tennis event within the ATP Tour with reorganization of the top tier of pro tour tennis.
At Longwood, the tournament was first played on a hardcourt
Hardcourt
Hardcourt or hard court describes a form of surface or floor on which a sport is played. It may refer to an indoor court made from a wood, or more specifically hardwood such as maple, as in basketball or indoor soccer. Alternatively, it may refer to outdoor materials such as asphalt, shale, or clay...
. It was later played on Har-Tru clay courts and was an important tune-up event for the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (tennis)
The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...
. When the Open moved to hardcourts in Flushing Meadows in 1978, the U.S. Pro did not follow suit, electing instead to hold its tournament during the U.S. clay court season in early summer instead of during its hitherto pre-Open (late summer) time slot. Remaining a clay event into the 1990s, the U.S. Pro was a non-ATP exhibition event during the early 1990s. It was only in its final three years that the tournament was once again an ATP event and played on hardcourts.
Singles
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score | Site | Surface |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Era | |||||
| 1927 |  Vinny Richards |
Howard Kinsey Howard Kinsey Howard Kinsey was an American tennis player in the 1920s who won a number of championships... |
11-9, 6-4, 6-3 | Notlek courts, Brooklyn Brooklyn Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated... |
Grass |
| 1928 | Vinny Richards |
 Karel KozeluhKarel Koželuh Karel Koželuh was a top Czech tennis, soccer, and ice hockey player of the 1920s and 1930s. Koželuh never played in the major tournaments of amateur tennis but was an all-around athlete at the very highest level.... |
8-6, 6-3, 0-6, 6-2 | West Side Tennis Club West Side Tennis Club The West Side Tennis Club is a private tennis club located in Forest Hills, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is currently an oasis within the City with 38 courts in all four surfaces , a junior Olympic swimming pool and many other amenities.It is most notable for hosting... , Forest Hills, Queens Forest Hills, Queens Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States.-Neighborhood:The neighborhood is home to upper-middle class residents, of whom the wealthier residents often live in the neighborhood's Forest Hills Gardens area... |
Grass |
| 1929 | Karel Kozeluh Karel Koželuh Karel Koželuh was a top Czech tennis, soccer, and ice hockey player of the 1920s and 1930s. Koželuh never played in the major tournaments of amateur tennis but was an all-around athlete at the very highest level.... |
Vinny Richards |
6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 4-6, 7-5 | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
| 1930 | Vinny Richards |
Karel Kozeluh Karel Koželuh Karel Koželuh was a top Czech tennis, soccer, and ice hockey player of the 1920s and 1930s. Koželuh never played in the major tournaments of amateur tennis but was an all-around athlete at the very highest level.... |
2-6, 10-8, 6-3, 6-4 | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
| 1931 | Bill Tilden Bill Tilden William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of... |
Vinny Richards |
7-5, 6-2, 6-1 | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
| 1932 | Karel Kozeluh Karel Koželuh Karel Koželuh was a top Czech tennis, soccer, and ice hockey player of the 1920s and 1930s. Koželuh never played in the major tournaments of amateur tennis but was an all-around athlete at the very highest level.... |
 Hans NussleinHans Nüsslein Hans Nüsslein was a German tennis player of the 1930s.Born in Nuremberg, he had almost no background in amateur tennis. In late 1931, as a professional, he played Bill Tilden twice in Europe, taking him to 5 sets each time. Later in the 1930s, as Tilden aged, Nüsslein would beat the far more... |
6-2, 6-3, 7-5 | South Shore Country Club, Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
Clay Clay court A clay court is one of the four different types of tennis court. Clay courts are made of crushed shale, stone or brick. The red clay is slower than the green, or Har-Tru "American" clay. The French Open uses clay courts, making it unique among the Grand Slam tournaments.Clay courts are more common... |
| 1933 | Vinny Richards |
Frank Hunter Francis Hunter For the Distinguished Service Cross recipient, see Francis Hunter .----Francis "Frank" Townsend Hunter was a male tennis player from the United States of America... |
6-3, 6-0, 6-2 | Westchester Westchester Westchester may refer to:*Westchester, Connecticut*Westchester, Florida*Westchester, Illinois*Westchester, Indiana*Westchester, Los Angeles, California*Westchester County, New York*The Westchester, a shopping mall in White Plains, New York... , Rye, New York Rye (city), New York Rye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the town of Rye, which is larger than the city. Rye city, formerly the village of Rye, was part of the town until 1942, when it received its charter as a city, the most recent to be issued in New York... |
Grass |
| 1934 |  Hans NussleinHans Nüsslein Hans Nüsslein was a German tennis player of the 1930s.Born in Nuremberg, he had almost no background in amateur tennis. In late 1931, as a professional, he played Bill Tilden twice in Europe, taking him to 5 sets each time. Later in the 1930s, as Tilden aged, Nüsslein would beat the far more... |
Karel Kozeluh Karel Koželuh Karel Koželuh was a top Czech tennis, soccer, and ice hockey player of the 1920s and 1930s. Koželuh never played in the major tournaments of amateur tennis but was an all-around athlete at the very highest level.... |
6-4, 6-2, 1-6, 7-5 | South Shore Country Club | Clay |
| 1935 | Bill Tilden Bill Tilden William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of... |
Karel Kozeluh Karel Koželuh Karel Koželuh was a top Czech tennis, soccer, and ice hockey player of the 1920s and 1930s. Koželuh never played in the major tournaments of amateur tennis but was an all-around athlete at the very highest level.... |
0-6, 6-1, 6-4, 0-6, 6-4 | Terrace Club Terrace Club Terrace F. Club is one of the ten current eating clubs at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Terrace was founded in 1904 as the twelfth club at Princeton... , Brooklyn |
Clay |
| 1936 | Joe Whalen Joe Whalen Joe Whalen was an American tennis player in the 1930s who won a number of championships; he was originally from Millinocket, Maine, but grew up in Miami, Florida.His most significant championship win was the 1936 United States Pro Championship.... |
Charles Wood |
4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 | Tudor City Tudor City Tudor City is an apartment complex located on the East Side of Manhattan in New York City. It is the first residential skyscraper complex in the world. It is bordered by East 40th Street to the south, First Avenue to the east, Second Avenue to the west, and East 43rd Street to the north... Tennis Club, New York |
? |
| 1937a | Karel Kozeluh Karel Koželuh Karel Koželuh was a top Czech tennis, soccer, and ice hockey player of the 1920s and 1930s. Koželuh never played in the major tournaments of amateur tennis but was an all-around athlete at the very highest level.... |
Bruce Barnes |
6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-1 | Greenbrier Greenbrier Greenbrier is the common name of the plant genus Smilax. It may also refer to:Places, United States*Greenbrier, Arkansas*Greenbrier, Orange County, Indiana*Greenbrier, Warrick County, Indiana*Greenbrier, Tennessee, in Robertson County... , White Sulfur Springs White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia White Sulphur Springs is a city in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,444 at the 2010 census.-Geography:White Sulphur Springs is located at .... , West Virginia West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east... |
Har-Tru? |
| 1938 | Fred Perry Fred Perry Frederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row... |
Bruce Barnes |
6-3, 6-2, 6-4 | Chicago Arena, Chicago | Canvas (indoor) |
| 1939 | Ellsworth Vines Ellsworth Vines Henry Ellsworth Vines, Jr. was an American tennis champion of the 1930s, the World No. 1 player or the co-No. 1 for four years in 1932, 1935, 1936 and 1937.-Biography:... |
Fred Perry Fred Perry Frederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row... |
8-6, 6-8, 6-1, 20-18 | Beverly Hills Tennis Club, Los Angeles | Hard (cement) |
| 1940 | Don Budge Don Budge John Donald Budge was an American tennis champion who was a World No. 1 player for five years, first as an amateur and then as a professional... |
Fred Perry Fred Perry Frederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row... |
6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 | Chicago Town and Tennis Club, Chicago | Clay |
| 1941 | Fred Perry Fred Perry Frederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row... |
Dick Skeen Dick Skeen Dick Skeen was a U.S. professional tennis player. He was runner up to Fred Perry in the Men's Singles in the 1941 Professional Tennis Championships, and was ranked No. 2, behind Perry.... |
6-4, 6-8, 6-2, 6-3 | Chicago Town and Tennis Club | Clay |
| 1942 | Don Budge Don Budge John Donald Budge was an American tennis champion who was a World No. 1 player for five years, first as an amateur and then as a professional... |
Bobby Riggs Bobby Riggs Robert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947... |
6-2, 6-2, 6-2 | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
| 1943 | Bruce Barnes |
John Nogrady |
6-1, 7-9, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 | Fort Knox Fort Knox Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. The base covers parts of Bullitt, Hardin, and Meade counties. It currently holds the Army Human Resources Center of Excellence to include the Army Human Resources Command, United States Army Cadet... |
Clay |
| 1944 | Not Held | ||||
| 1945 | Welby Van Horn Welby Van Horn Welby Van Horn is a retired American professional tennis player who later went on to have a career as a major tennis coach.As a 19-year-old player, Van Horn reached the finals of the 1939 U.S. Nationals only to lose to Bobby Riggs in just 56 minutes... |
John Nogrady |
6-4, 6-2, 6-2 | Rips Tennis Courts, Manhattan Manhattan Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York... |
Clay |
| 1946 | Bobby Riggs Bobby Riggs Robert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947... |
Don Budge Don Budge John Donald Budge was an American tennis champion who was a World No. 1 player for five years, first as an amateur and then as a professional... |
6-3, 6-1, 6-1 | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
| 1947 | Bobby Riggs Bobby Riggs Robert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947... |
Don Budge Don Budge John Donald Budge was an American tennis champion who was a World No. 1 player for five years, first as an amateur and then as a professional... |
3-6, 6-3, 10-8, 4-6, 6-3 | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
| 1948 | Jack Kramer |
Bobby Riggs Bobby Riggs Robert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947... |
14-12, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
| 1949 | Bobby Riggs Bobby Riggs Robert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs was a 1930s–40s tennis player who was the World No. 1 or the co-World No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1941, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947... |
Don Budge Don Budge John Donald Budge was an American tennis champion who was a World No. 1 player for five years, first as an amateur and then as a professional... |
9-7, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
| 1950b | Pancho Segura Pancho Segura Pancho Segura, born Francisco Olegario Segura , was a leading tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s, both as an amateur and as a professional. In 1950 and 1952, as a professional, he was the World Co-No. 1 player... |
Frank Kovacs Frank Kovacs Frank Kovacs was an American tennis player in the mid-century; he was known as the "Clown Prince of Tennis" for his on-court antics but was a good enough player to be each year from 1940 to 1951 one of the best five in the world. He stood 6 ft 4 inches tall and had a backhand as good as... |
6-1, 1-6, 8-6, 4-4 rtd | Skating Club, Cleveland | Clay (indoor) |
| 1951 | Pancho Segura Pancho Segura Pancho Segura, born Francisco Olegario Segura , was a leading tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s, both as an amateur and as a professional. In 1950 and 1952, as a professional, he was the World Co-No. 1 player... |
Pancho Gonzalez |
RR formatr | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
| 1952 | Pancho Segura Pancho Segura Pancho Segura, born Francisco Olegario Segura , was a leading tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s, both as an amateur and as a professional. In 1950 and 1952, as a professional, he was the World Co-No. 1 player... |
Pancho Gonzalez |
3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 | Lakewood Lakewood, Ohio Lakewood is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Greater Cleveland Metropolitan Area, and borders the city of Cleveland. The population was 52,131 at the 2010 making it the third largest city in Cuyahoga County, behind Cleveland and Parma .Lakewood, one of Cleveland's... , Cleveland |
(indoor) |
| 1953 | Pancho Gonzalez |
Don Budge Don Budge John Donald Budge was an American tennis champion who was a World No. 1 player for five years, first as an amateur and then as a professional... |
4-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 | Lakewood, Cleveland | (indoor) |
| 1954 | Pancho Gonzalez |
 Frank SedgmanFrank Sedgman Frank Arthur Sedgman, born 29 October 1927, in Mont Albert, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, was a tennis player who was arguably the world No.1 in 1952. In his 1979 autobiography Jack Kramer, the long-time tennis promoter and great player himself, included Sedgman in his list of the 21... |
6-3, 9-7, 3-6, 6-2 | Cleveland Arena Cleveland Arena Cleveland Arena was an arena in Cleveland, Ohio. It was built and privately financed by local businessman Albert C. Sutphin during the height of the Great Depression in 1937 as a playing site for Sutphin's AHL team, the Cleveland Barons. Later it hosted Sutphin's BAA's Cleveland Rebels and Nick... , Cleveland |
(indoor) |
| 1955 | Pancho Gonzalez |
Pancho Segura Pancho Segura Pancho Segura, born Francisco Olegario Segura , was a leading tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s, both as an amateur and as a professional. In 1950 and 1952, as a professional, he was the World Co-No. 1 player... |
21-16, 19-21, 21-8, 20-22, 21-19v | Cleveland Arena | (indoor) |
| 1956 | Pancho Gonzalez |
Pancho Segura Pancho Segura Pancho Segura, born Francisco Olegario Segura , was a leading tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s, both as an amateur and as a professional. In 1950 and 1952, as a professional, he was the World Co-No. 1 player... |
21-15, 13-21, 21-14, 22-20v | Cleveland Arena | (indoor) |
| 1957 | Pancho Gonzalez |
Pancho Segura Pancho Segura Pancho Segura, born Francisco Olegario Segura , was a leading tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s, both as an amateur and as a professional. In 1950 and 1952, as a professional, he was the World Co-No. 1 player... |
6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 | Cleveland Arena | (indoor) |
| 1958 | Pancho Gonzalez |
Lew Hoad Lew Hoad Lewis Alan Hoad was a champion tennis player.... |
3-6, 4-6, 14-12, 6-1, 6-4 | Cleveland Arena | (indoor) |
| 1959 | Pancho Gonzalez |
Lew Hoad Lew Hoad Lewis Alan Hoad was a champion tennis player.... |
6-4, 6-2, 6-4 | Cleveland Arena | (indoor) |
| 1960 |  Alex OlmedoAlex Olmedo Alejandro "Alex" Rodríguez Olmedo is a former tennis player from Peru, who was ranked as the top amateur player in the world in 1959. Although born and raised in Peru, he came to Southern California and was mentored by Perry T. Jones, President of the Southern California Tennis Association at the... |
 Tony TrabertTony Trabert Marion Anthony Trabert is a retired American tennis champion and long-time tennis author, TV commentator, instructor, and motivational speaker... |
7-5, 6-4 | Cleveland Arena | (indoor) |
| 1961 | Pancho Gonzalez |
Frank Sedgman Frank Sedgman Frank Arthur Sedgman, born 29 October 1927, in Mont Albert, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, was a tennis player who was arguably the world No.1 in 1952. In his 1979 autobiography Jack Kramer, the long-time tennis promoter and great player himself, included Sedgman in his list of the 21... |
6-3, 7-5 | Cleveland Arena | (indoor) |
| 1962 | Butch Buchholz Butch Buchholz Earl "Butch" Buchholz, Jr., is a former professional tennis player from the United States who was one of the game's top players in the late-1950s and early-1960s.... |
Pancho Segura Pancho Segura Pancho Segura, born Francisco Olegario Segura , was a leading tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s, both as an amateur and as a professional. In 1950 and 1952, as a professional, he was the World Co-No. 1 player... |
6-4, 6-3, 6-4 | Cleveland Arena | (indoor) |
| 1963 | Ken Rosewall Ken Rosewall Kenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam... |
Rod Laver Rod Laver Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970... |
6-4, 6-2, 6-2 | West Side Tennis Club | Grass |
| 1964 | Rod Laver Rod Laver Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970... |
Pancho Gonzalez |
4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Grass |
| 1965 | Ken Rosewall Ken Rosewall Kenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam... |
Rod Laver Rod Laver Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970... |
6-4, 6-3, 6-3 | Longwood Cricket Club | Grass |
| 1966 | Rod Laver Rod Laver Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970... |
Ken Rosewall Ken Rosewall Kenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam... |
6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 8-10, 6-3 | Longwood Cricket Club | Grass |
| 1967 | Rod Laver Rod Laver Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970... |
 Andrés GimenoAndrés Gimeno Andrés Gimeno Tolaguera is a retired Spanish tennis player. He major achievement came in 1972, when he won the French Open.... |
4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 | Longwood Cricket Club | Grass |
| Open Era | |||||
| 1968 | Rod Laver Rod Laver Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970... |
John Newcombe John Newcombe John David Newcombe, AO, OBE is a former World No. 1 tennis player.-Biography:He won seven Grand Slam singles titles, A natural athlete, Newcombe played several sports as a boy until devoting himself to tennis. He was the Australian junior champion in 1961, 1962, and 1963 and was a member of... |
6-4, 6-4, 9-7 | Longwood Cricket Club | Grass |
| 1969 | Rod Laver Rod Laver Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970... |
John Newcombe John Newcombe John David Newcombe, AO, OBE is a former World No. 1 tennis player.-Biography:He won seven Grand Slam singles titles, A natural athlete, Newcombe played several sports as a boy until devoting himself to tennis. He was the Australian junior champion in 1961, 1962, and 1963 and was a member of... |
7-5, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 | Longwood Cricket Club | Uni-Turf? |
| 1970 | Tony Roche Tony Roche Anthony "Tony" Dalton Roche is a former professional Australian tennis player, native of Tarcutta. He played junior tennis in the New South Wales regional city of Wagga Wagga. He won one Grand Slam singles title and twelve Grand Slam doubles titles. He is also very well known for coaching... |
Rod Laver Rod Laver Rodney George "Rod" Laver MBE is an Australian former tennis player who holds the record for titles won in career, and was the World No. 1 player for seven consecutive years, from 1964 to 1970... |
3-6, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 | Longwood Cricket Club | Hard |
| 1971 | Ken Rosewall Ken Rosewall Kenneth Robert Rosewall AM MBE is a former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player from Australia. He won 23 Majors including eight Grand Slam singles titles and before the Open Era a record fifteen Pro Slam titles . Rosewall won 9 slams in doubles with a career double grand slam... |
 Cliff DrysdaleCliff Drysdale Cliff Drysdale is a former top-ranked professional tennis player of the 1960s and early 1970s who became a well-known tennis announcer. He was one of the Handsome Eight, signed by Lamar Hunt in 1968 for the newly formed World Championship Tennis group... |
6-4, 6-3, 6-0 | Longwood Cricket Club | Hard |
| 1972 | Bob Lutz |
 Tom OkkerTom Okker Thomas S. Okker is a former Dutch tennis player. He was ranked among the world's top 10 singles players for seven consecutive years, 1968–74, reaching a career high of world # 3 in 1969. He also was ranked World # 1 in doubles in 1969.-Tennis career:Okker was the Dutch champion from 1964 through... |
6-4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Hard |
| 1973 | Jimmy Connors Jimmy Connors James Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player.... |
Arthur Ashe Arthur Ashe Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. was a professional tennis player, born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. During his career, he won three Grand Slam titles, putting him among the best ever from the United States... |
6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 | Longwood Cricket Club | Hard |
| 1974 |  Björn BorgBjörn Borg Björn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles... |
Tom Okker Tom Okker Thomas S. Okker is a former Dutch tennis player. He was ranked among the world's top 10 singles players for seven consecutive years, 1968–74, reaching a career high of world # 3 in 1969. He also was ranked World # 1 in doubles in 1969.-Tennis career:Okker was the Dutch champion from 1964 through... |
7-6, 6-1, 6-1 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
| 1975 | Björn Borg Björn Borg Björn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles... |
 Guillermo VilasGuillermo Vilas Guillermo Apolinario Vilas is a retired and former World No. 2 professional tennis player from Argentina. He was the second Latin-American to win a Grand Slam tournament.-Career:... |
6-3, 6-4, 6-2 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
| 1976 | Björn Borg Björn Borg Björn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles... |
Harold Solomon Harold Solomon Harold Solomon was an American professional tennis player during the 1970s and 1980s. He achieved a career-high ranking of No. 5 in the world in 1980.- Tennis career :... |
6-7, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
| 1977 | Manuel Orantes Manuel Orantes Manuel Orantes Corral was a tennis champion in the 1970s and 1980s. He won the US Open in 1975, beating defending champion Jimmy Connors in the final.-Career:... |
Eddie Dibbs Eddie Dibbs Eddie Dibbs is a retired American tennis player. He attained a career high ranking of World No. 5 in July 1978.-Wins :-Runner-ups :-Grand Slam singles tournament timeline:... |
7-6, 7-5, 6-4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
| 1978 |  Manuel OrantesManuel Orantes Manuel Orantes Corral was a tennis champion in the 1970s and 1980s. He won the US Open in 1975, beating defending champion Jimmy Connors in the final.-Career:... |
Harold Solomon Harold Solomon Harold Solomon was an American professional tennis player during the 1970s and 1980s. He achieved a career-high ranking of No. 5 in the world in 1980.- Tennis career :... |
6-4, 6-3 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
| 1979 | José Higueras José Higueras José Higueras is a tennis coach and former professional tennis player from Spain.Between 1976 and 1984, Higueras won 16 top-level singles titles. A semi-finalist at the French Open in 1982 and 1983, he reached the World No. 6 singles ranking in 1983... |
 Hans GildemeisterHans Gildemeister Hans Gildemeister Bohner , is a former Chilean tennis player of German ancestry, who won four singles and 23 doubles titles during his professional career. He is the brother of Heinz and Fritz Gildemeister, who are also tennis players... |
6-3, 6-1 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
| 1980 | Eddie Dibbs Eddie Dibbs Eddie Dibbs is a retired American tennis player. He attained a career high ranking of World No. 5 in July 1978.-Wins :-Runner-ups :-Grand Slam singles tournament timeline:... |
José Luis Clerc José Luis Clerc José Luis Clerc is a former Argentine professional tennis player, and one of the most important Argentine players in history.... |
6-2, 6-1 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
| 1981 | José Luis Clerc José Luis Clerc José Luis Clerc is a former Argentine professional tennis player, and one of the most important Argentine players in history.... |
Hans Gildemeister Hans Gildemeister Hans Gildemeister Bohner , is a former Chilean tennis player of German ancestry, who won four singles and 23 doubles titles during his professional career. He is the brother of Heinz and Fritz Gildemeister, who are also tennis players... |
0-6, 6-2, 6-2 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
| 1982 | Guillermo Vilas Guillermo Vilas Guillermo Apolinario Vilas is a retired and former World No. 2 professional tennis player from Argentina. He was the second Latin-American to win a Grand Slam tournament.-Career:... |
Mel Purcell Mel Purcell Mel Purcell is a former World No. 17 tennis player in the ATP tennis rankings. He is the head coach of the Murray State University men's tennis team... |
6-4, 6-0 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
| 1983 | José Luis Clerc José Luis Clerc José Luis Clerc is a former Argentine professional tennis player, and one of the most important Argentine players in history.... |
Jimmy Arias Jimmy Arias James Arias is a former tennis touring professional player from the United States, a bronze medallist.From Grand Island, near Buffalo, New York, Arias's peak year was 1983, when as a 19 year-old he finished the year ranked World No. 6, having reached the U.S... |
6-3, 3-6, 6-0 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
| 1984 | Aaron Krickstein Aaron Krickstein Aaron Krickstein , nicknamed "Marathon Man", is a former American professional tennis player, who competed on the ATP Tour from 1983 to 1996. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he currently competes on the Outback Champions Series Over-30 tour.Krickstein reached his career high ATP ranking of World No.... |
José Luis Clerc José Luis Clerc José Luis Clerc is a former Argentine professional tennis player, and one of the most important Argentine players in history.... |
7-6, 3-6, 6-4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
| 1985 | Mats Wilander Mats Wilander Mats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title... |
Martín Jaite Martín Jaite Martín Jaite is an Argentine right-handed former top-10 professional tour tennis player.Jaite's ATP highest tour ranking was World # 10, which he achieved in the summer of 1990, and he won a total of 12 titles and $1,873,881 in tour prize money during his career.Jaite's playing style leveraged his... |
6-2, 6-4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
| 1986 |  Andrés GómezAndrés Gómez Andrés Gómez Santos is a former professional tennis player from Ecuador. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at the French Open in 1990.-Career:... |
Martín Jaite Martín Jaite Martín Jaite is an Argentine right-handed former top-10 professional tour tennis player.Jaite's ATP highest tour ranking was World # 10, which he achieved in the summer of 1990, and he won a total of 12 titles and $1,873,881 in tour prize money during his career.Jaite's playing style leveraged his... |
7-5, 6-4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
| 1987 | Mats Wilander Mats Wilander Mats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title... |
Kent Carlsson Kent Carlsson Kent Carlsson is a former tennis player from Sweden.- Playing career :Carlsson was a successful junior winning the Kalle Anka Cup, which is a Swedish junior tournament through the under 11, under 13s twice and under 15. He still holds the record for the most titles wins at 4 in front of Thomas... |
7-6, 6-1 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
| 1988 |  Thomas MusterThomas Muster Thomas Muster is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Austria. One of the world's leading clay court players in the 1990s, Muster won the 1995 French Open and at his peak was known as "The King of Clay." In addition, he won eight Masters 1000 series titles, placing him sixth on the all-time list... |
Lawson Duncan Lawson Duncan Lawson Duncan is a retired American tennis player. The right-hander reached his highest Association of Tennis Professionals singles ranking on May 20, 1985, when he became World No. 47... |
6-2, 6-2 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
| 1989 | Andrés Gómez Andrés Gómez Andrés Gómez Santos is a former professional tennis player from Ecuador. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at the French Open in 1990.-Career:... |
Mats Wilander Mats Wilander Mats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title... |
6-1, 6-4 | Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru |
| 1990c | Martín Jaite Martín Jaite Martín Jaite is an Argentine right-handed former top-10 professional tour tennis player.Jaite's ATP highest tour ranking was World # 10, which he achieved in the summer of 1990, and he won a total of 12 titles and $1,873,881 in tour prize money during his career.Jaite's playing style leveraged his... |
Libor Nemecek |
Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru | |
| 1991 | Andrés Gómez Andrés Gómez Andrés Gómez Santos is a former professional tennis player from Ecuador. He is best remembered for winning the men's singles title at the French Open in 1990.-Career:... |
 Andrei CherkasovAndrei Cherkasov Andrei Cherkasov is a former professional tennis player from Russia.Born in Ufa, Soviet Union, Cherkasov first came to the tennis world's attention as an outstanding junior player. In 1987, he was ranked the World No. 3 junior player and finished runner-up in the boy's singles at the US Open... |
Longwood Cricket Club | Har-Tru | |
| 1992 | Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis... |
Richey Reneberg Richey Reneberg Richey Reneberg was an American professional male tennis player.He attended Southern Methodist University, where he was a three-time All-American and reached the 1986 National Collegiate Athletics Association finals.... |
6-3, 6-3 | Longwood Cricket Club | DecoTurf DecoTurf DecoTurf is a tennis hardcourt comprising layers of acrylic, rubber, silica, and other materials on top of an asphalt or concrete base. It is manufactured by Decosystems, which is a division of California Products Corporation which also manufactures Plexipave, based in Andover, Massachusetts.The... |
| 1993 | Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis... |
Todd Martin Todd Martin ----Todd Christopher Martin is a former professional tennis player from the United States.-Playing career:... |
5-7, 6-3, 7-6 | Longwood Cricket Club | DecoTurf |
| 1994 | Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis... |
MaliVai Washington MaliVai Washington MaliVai "Mal" Washington is a former professional tennis player from the United States. He is best remembered for reaching the men's singles final at Wimbledon in 1996.-Family:... |
7-5, 7-6 | Longwood Cricket Club | DecoTurf |
| 1995 | Not completed due to rain | ||||
| 1996 | Not Held | ||||
| 1997 | Sjeng Schalken Sjeng Schalken Sjeng Schalken is a former professional tennis player from the Netherlands.-Playing style:A right-handed baseliner with a single-handed backhand, Schalken's game is characterised by his consistency of both wings and his continental technique on both the forehand and backhand... |
Marcelo Ríos Marcelo Ríos Marcelo Andrés Ríos Mayorga is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Chile. Nicknamed El Chino and El zurdo de Vitacura , he became the first Latin American player to reach the top position on the Association of Tennis Professionals singles rankings in 1998. He held the World No... |
7-5, 6-3 | Longwood Cricket Club | DecoTurf |
| 1998 | Michael Chang Michael Chang Michael Te-Pei Chang is a former American professional tennis player. He is best remembered for becoming the youngest-ever male player to win a Grand Slam singles title when he won the French Open in 1989 at the age of 17.... |
Paul Haarhuis Paul Haarhuis Paul Vincent Nicholas Haarhuis is a Dutch former professional tennis player. He is a former World No. 1 doubles player. He won six Grand Slam men's doubles titles, five with Jacco Eltingh and one with Yevgeny Kafelnikov.-Personal life:... |
6-3, 6-4 | Longwood Cricket Club | DecoTurf |
| 1999 |  Marat SafinMarat Safin Marat Mikhailovich Safin is a retired Russian tennis player of Tatar descent. Safin won two grand slams and reached the world number 1 ranking during his career. He was also famous for his emotional outbursts and sometimes fiery temper on court. Safin also holds the record for most broken... |
 Greg RusedskiGreg Rusedski Gregory "Greg" Rusedski is a British Canadian former tennis player who turned professional in 1991 and played until his retirement on 7 April 2007, at the age of 33... |
6-4, 7-6(11) | Longwood Cricket Club | DecoTurf |
Notes:
a This tournament, the first pro event open to amateur players, is considered by some as both the U.S. Pro Tennis Championship and first "U.S. Open" event (then the U.S. Open was again held from 1938 to 1941 at Greenbrier but as a separate event from the U.S. Pro held in Chicago or in L.A).
b These tournaments from 1950–1962, considered as the U.S. Pro for the season, were billed the World Pro Championship with the exception of 1951, where a separate U.S. Pro and World Pro in Cleveland were held.
r For 1951, the tournament was played under Round Robin format with Seguara 4-0 and Gonzalez 3-1 as final standings.
v For 1955-56, the matches were played under Van Alen
Van Alen
Van Alen is a surname, and may refer to:* James Isaac Van Alen , member of the United States House of Representatives* James John Van Alen , sportsman and politician...
scoring system.
c From 1990 to 1995, the U.S. Pro event appears to have been an exhibition and not part of the ATP tour.
See also
- U.S. Pro Tennis Championships Draws - Professional Era (1927–1967)