ATP Tour
July 20, 2008
The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) was formed in 1972 to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. From 1990, the association organized the principal worldwide tennis tour, the ATP Tour.
The ATP Tour comprises tennis tournaments with ATP Masters Series, ATP International Series Gold, ATP International Series and ATP Challenger Series. The ATP tour also oversees the World Team Cup played in Düsseldorf in May and the senior’s Tour of Champions.
ATP Masters Series
The ATP Masters Series is a series of nine tennis tournaments that are part of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tour, held annually throughout the year in Europe and North America. The tournaments are mandatory for the top male players on the professional circuit. The series constitutes the most prestigious tournaments in men’s tennis after the four Grand Slam events.
The series was introduced in 1990 with the inception of the ATP Tour. The events were originally known as “Championship Series, Single Week” events. In 1996 and until 1999, the series was known as the Mercedes-Benz Super 9. In 2000, the name was changed to the Tennis Masters Series (TMS) and then changed to the present name in 2004.
Results in ATP Masters Series events earn players more world ranking points than regular tournaments, though not as many as Grand Slam events or the year-end Tennis Masters Cup. Up until 2007, some Master Series finals were contested as best of five set matches. Currently, all Masters Series events are decided in best of three set matches.
Former World No. 1 Andre Agassi holds the record for the most titles with 17.
ATP International Series Gold
International Series Gold is a series of professional tennis tournaments held internationally that are part of the ATP Tour. International Series Gold offer players cash prizes (purses from $755,000 to $1,426,250 as of 2007) and the ability to earn ATP ranking points. The tournaments are below the ATP Masters Series, and above the ATP International Series in terms of prize money and ranking points available.
ATP International Series
The International Series is a series of professional tennis tournaments held internationally that are part of the ATP Tour. International Series offer players cash prizes (tournaments have purses from $416,000 to 1,000,000) and the ability to earn ATP ranking points. The generally offer less prize money and fewer points than the ATP International Series Gold, but more than tournaments on the ATP Challenger Series.
ATP Challenger Series
The ATP Challenger Series is a series of international men’s professional tennis tournaments that allow players to win enough ranking points to earn an entry into an ATP-level (usually International Series tournaments) main draw or qualifying draw. They are fully administered by the ATP Tour.
World Team Cup
The ARAG ATP World Team Championship is the international team championship of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). The tournament has been contested annually since 1978 and is considered to be second most prestigious men’s team competition in tennis after the Davis Cup.
Every year, the eight nations whose top two male players have achieved the highest combined placings in the men’s world rankings at the end of the previous year are invited to compete for the cup.
The competition is played on clay courts in Düsseldorf, Germany. The event is generally regarded as the sports highlight of the social scene in the Düsseldorf area. It attracts around 75,000 visitors every year and is televised to over 160 countries.
Tour of Champions
The “Tour of Champions” is a men’s tennis organization intended for former tennis professionals, who have since retired from mainstream professional tennis touring . For a player to be eligible for play on this tour, he must be over 30 years old. The Tour usually consists of around 10 events around the world, with a final “Masters” event held at the Royal Albert Hall.
Notable participants, in past and present, are: John McEnroe, Björn Borg, Mats Wilander, Goran Ivanisevic, Henri Leconte, Pat Cash and Mansour Bahrami.
Mark Philippoussis is the only player to concurrently play on the ATP tour and the Tour of Champions.
Watch ATP Tour Tennis Online at Watch Live Tennis.
