Professional Tennis Championships
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The Three Major Professional Tournaments
Professional tennis players in the years before the Open era began in 1968 played mostly on tours in head-to-head competition. They had, however, several annual tournaments that they called championship tournaments. The most prestigious was the London Indoor Professional Championship at Wembley in England, played between 1934 and 1972, that was unofficially considered the world's championship. The oldest was the United States Professional Championship, played between 1927 and 1999. Between 1955 and 1962 it was played indoors in Cleveland and was called the World Professional Championships. The third major tournament was the French Professional Championship, played between 1930 and 1968. The British and American championships continued into the Open era but devolved to the status of minor tournaments.
Wembley Championship:
| Year | Men's Singles Winner | Men's Singles Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1934 | Ellsworth Vines (United States) | Hans Nusslein (Germany) |
| 1935 | Ellsworth Vines (United States) | Bill Tilden (United States) |
| 1936 | Ellsworth Vines (United States) | Bill Tilden (United States) |
| 1937 | Hans Nusslein (Germany) | Bill Tilden (United States) |
| 1938 | Hans Nusslein (Germany) | Bill Tilden (United States) |
| 1939-1946 | not held | not held |
| 1947 | Don Budge (United States) | Bobby Riggs (United States) |
| 1948 | Bobby Riggs (United States) | Don Budge (United States) |
| 1949 | Jack Kramer (United States) | Bobby Riggs (United States) |
| 1950 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Welby Van Horn (United States) |
| 1951 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Pancho Segura (United States) |
| 1952 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Jack Kramer (United States) |
| 1953 | Frank Sedgman (Australia) | Pancho Gonzales (United States) |
| 1954-1955 | not held | not held |
| 1956 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Frank Sedgman (Australia) |
| 1957 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Pancho Segura (United States) |
| 1958 | Frank Sedgman (Australia) | Tony Trabert (United States) |
| 1959 | Mal Anderson (Australia) | Pancho Segura (United States) |
| 1960 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Pancho Segura (United States) |
| 1961 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Lew Hoad (Australia) |
| 1962 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Lew Hoad (Australia) |
| 1963 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Lew Hoad (Australia) |
| 1964 | Rod Laver (Australia) | Ken Rosewall (Australia) |
| 1965 | Rod Laver (Australia) | Andres Gimeno (Spain) |
| 1966 | Rod Laver (Australia) | Ken Rosewall (Australia) |
| 1967 | Rod Laver (Australia) | Ken Rosewall (Australia) |
| 1968 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | John Newcombe (Australia) |
| 1969 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | John Newcombe (Australia) |
| 1970 | Rod Laver (Australia) | Ken Rosewall (Australia) |
| 1971 | Ilie Nastase (Romania) | Rod Laver (Australia) |
| 1972 | Cliff Richey (United States) | Clark Graebner (United States) |
United States Pro Championship:
Also known as MFS Pro Championships at Boston
| Year | Men's Singles Winner | Men's Singles Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1927 | Vinnie Richards (United States) | Howard Kinsey (United States) |
| 1928 | Vinnie Richards (United States) | Karol Kozeluh (Czechoslovakia) |
| 1929 | Karol Kozeluh (Czechoslovakia) | Vinnie Richards (United States) |
| 1930 | Vinnie Richards (United States) | Karol Kozeluh (Czechoslovakia) |
| 1931 | Bill Tilden (United States) | Vinnie Richards (United States) |
| 1932 | Karol Kozeluh (Czechoslovakia) | Hans Nusslein (Germany) |
| 1933 | Vinnie Richards (United States) | Frank Hunter (United States) |
| 1934 | Hans Nusslein (Germany) | Karol Kozeluh (Czechoslovakia) |
| 1935 | Bill Tilden (United States) | Karol Kozeluh (Czechoslovakia) |
| 1936 | Joe Whalen (United States) | Charles Wood (United States) |
| 1937 | Karol Kozeluh (Czechoslovakia) | Bruce Barnes (United States) |
| 1938 | Fred Perry (England) | Bruce Barnes (United States) |
| 1939 | Ellsworth Vines (United States) | Fred Perry (England) |
| 1940 | Don Budge (United States) | Fred Perry (England) |
| 1941 | Fred Perry (England) | Dick Skeen (United States) |
| 1942 | Don Budge (United States) | Bobby Riggs (United States) |
| 1943 | Lt. Bruce Barnes (United States) | John Nogrady (United States) |
| 1944 | not held | not held |
| 1945 | Welby Van Horn (United States) | John Nogrady (United States) |
| 1946 | Bobby Riggs (United States) | Don Budge (United States) |
| 1947 | Bobby Riggs (United States) | Don Budge (United States) |
| 1948 | Jack Kramer (United States) | Bobby Riggs (United States) |
| 1949 | Bobby Riggs (United States) | Don Budge (United States) |
| 1950 | Pancho Segura (United States) | Frank Kovacs (United States) |
| 1951 | Pancho Segura (United States) | Pancho Gonzales (United States) |
| 1952 | Pancho Segura (United States) | Pancho Gonzales (United States) |
| 1953 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Don Budge (United States) |
| 1954 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Frank Sedgman (Australia) |
| 1955 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Pancho Segura (United States) |
| 1956 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Pancho Segura (United States) |
| 1957 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Pancho Segura (United States) |
| 1958 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Lew Hoad (Australia) |
| 1959 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Lew Hoad (Australia) |
| 1960 | Alex Olmedo (United States) | Tony Trabert (United States) |
| 1961 | Pancho Gonzales (United States) | Frank Sedgman (Australia) |
| 1962 | Butch Buchholz (United States) | Pancho Segura (United States) |
| 1963 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Rod Laver (Australia) |
| 1964 | Rod Laver (Australia) | Pancho Gonzales (United States) |
| 1965 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Rod Laver (Australia) |
| 1966 | Rod Laver (Australia) | Ken Rosewall (Australia) |
| 1967 | Rod Laver (Australia) | Andres Gimeno (Spain) |
| 1968 | Rod Laver (Australia) | John Newcombe (Australia) |
| 1969 | Rod Laver (Australia) | John Newcombe (Australia) |
| 1970 | Tony Roche (Australia) | Rod Laver (Australia) |
| 1971 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Cliff Drysdale (South Africa) |
| 1972 | Bob Lutz (United States) | Tom Okker (Netherlands) |
| 1973 | Jimmy Connors (United States) | Arthur Ashe (United States) |
| 1974 | Björn Borg (Sweden) | Tom Okker (Netherlands) |
| 1975 | Björn Borg (Sweden) | Guillermo Vilas (Argentina) |
| 1976 | Björn Borg (Sweden) | Harold Solomon (United States) |
| 1977 | Manuel Orantes (Spain) | Eddie Dibbs (United States) |
| 1978 | Manuel Orantes (Spain) | Harold Solomon (United States) |
| 1979 | Jose Higueras (Spain) | Hans Gildemeister (Peru) |
| 1980 | Eddie Dibbs (United States) | Gene Mayer (United States) |
| 1981 | Jose-Luis Clerc (Argentina) | Hans Gildemeister (Peru) |
| 1982 | Guillermo Vilas (Argentina) | Mel Purcell (United States) |
| 1983 | Jose-Luis Clerc (Argentina) | Jimmy Arias (United States) |
| 1984 | Aaron Krickstein (United States) | Jose-Luis Clerc (Argentina) |
| 1985 | Mats Wilander (Sweden) | Martin Jaite (Argentina) |
| 1986 | Andres Gomez (Ecuador) | Martin Jaite (Argentina) |
| 1987 | Mats Wilander (Sweden) | Kent Carlsson (Sweden) |
| 1988 | Thomas Muster (Austria) | Lawson Duncan (United States) |
| 1989 | Andres Gomez (Ecuador) | Mats Wilander (Sweden) |
| 1990 | Martin Jaite (Argentina) | Libor Nemecek (Czechoslovakia) |
| 1991 | Andres Gomez (Ecuador) | Andrei Cherkasov (Russia) |
| 1992 | Ivan Lendl (Czechoslovakia) | Richey Reneberg (United States) |
| 1993 | Ivan Lendl (Czechoslovakia) | Todd Martin (United States) |
| 1994 | Ivan Lendl (Czechoslovakia) | MaliVai Washington (United States) |
| 1995 | not completed, rain | not completed, rain |
| 1996 | not held | not held |
| 1997 | Sjeng Schalken (Netherlands) | Marcelo Rios (Chile) |
| 1998 | Michael Chang (United States) | Paul Haarhuis (Netherlands) |
| 1999 | Marat Safin (Russia) | Greg Rusedski (Canada/Britain) |
French Pro Championship:
| Year | Men's Singles Winner | Men's Singles Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Karol Kozeluh (Czechoslovakia) | Albert Burke (Ireland) |
| 1931 | Martin Plaa (France) | Robert Ramillon (France) |
| 1932 | Robert Ramillon (France) | Martin Plaa (France) |
| 1933 | Bill Tilden (United States) | Henri Cochet (France) |
| 1934 | Bill Tilden (United States) | Martin Plaa (France) |
| 1935 | Ellsworth Vines (United States) | Hans Nusslein (Germany) |
| 1936-1937 | not held | not held |
| 1938 | Henri Cochet (France) | Robert Ramillon (France) |
| 1939 | Don Budge (United States) | Ellsworth Vines (United States) |
| 1940-1952 | not held | not held |
| 1953 | Frank Sedgman (Australia) | Pancho Gonzales (United States) |
| 1954-1955 | not held | not held |
| 1956 | Tony Trabert (United States) | Pancho Gonzales (United States) |
| 1957 | not held | not held |
| 1958 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Lew Hoad (Australia) |
| 1959 | Tony Trabert (United States) | Frank Sedgman (Australia) |
| 1960 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Lew Hoad (Australia) |
| 1961 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Pancho Gonzales (United States) |
| 1962 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Andres Gimeno (Spain) |
| 1963 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Rod Laver (Australia) |
| 1964 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Rod Laver (Australia) |
| 1965 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Rod Laver (Australia) |
| 1966 | Ken Rosewall (Australia) | Rod Laver (Australia) |
| 1967 | Rod Laver (Australia) | Andres Gimeno (Spain) |
| 1968 | Rod Laver (Australia) | John Newcombe (Australia) |