| 1970 Grand Prix circuit | |
| Duration: | 27 April 1970 – 9 December 1970 |
| Edition: | 1st |
| Tournaments: | 20 |
| Categories: | Group A (3) Masters Group 1 (6) Group 2 (11) |
| Most Tournament Titles: |  Rod Laver (4) |
| Most Tournament Finals: | Rod Laver (7) |
| Prize Money Leader: |  Cliff Richey ($25,000) |
| Points Leader: | Cliff Richey (60) |
| Next: | 1971 |
The 1970 Pepsi-Cola ILTF Grand Prix was a tennis circuit administered by the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) which served as a forerunner to the current Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) World Tour and the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour.[1] It was the inaugural edition of the Grand Prix circuit and consisted of men's tournaments recognised by the ILTF. The creation of the Grand Prix circuit, on an experimental basis during its first year, was announced in April 1970 by the president of the ILTF, Ben Barnett.[2] It was the brainchild of Jack Kramer, former tennis promoter and winner of the Wimbledon and US championships, and was aimed at countering the influence of commercial promoters, particularly Lamar Hunt and his World Championship Tennis circuit and George MacCall's National Tennis League.[3] [4]
The tournaments were graded in one of three categories which determined the number of ranking points available: Class A, comprising the three Grand Slam tournaments, Class 1 and Class 2. The Pepsi-Cola Masters and Davis Cup Final are included in this calendar but did not count towards the Grand Prix. In addition to the tournament prize money a bonus pool of $150,000 was available for the top 20 ranked players. The bonus pool was jointly funded by Pepsi-Cola as title sponsor and the participating tournaments which reserved 10% of their prize money.[5] [6] Cliff Richey earned $25,000 bonus as the winner of the first Grand Prix circuit.[7] At the end of the season the top six ranked players qualified for a Masters round-robin tournament held in Tokyo which was won by Stan Smith.
All open tennis tournaments were eligible to be included in the Grand Prix circuit provided they committed to not paying any management fees to commercial organizations with players under contract. Originally the Italian Championships, played in April in Rome, was part of the Grand Prix calendar but it was withdrawn during the tournament when it became known that they had paid management fees to the competing World Championship Tennis organization.[8]
| Class A tournaments | |
| Grand Prix Masters | |
| Group 1 tournaments | |
| Group 2 tournaments | |
| Team events |
| Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Apr | Rothmans British Hard Court Championships Bournemouth, Great Britain Clay – $25,000 – 32S/16D/16XD Group 2 |  Mark Cox 6–1, 6–2, 6–3 |  Georges Goven  Ismail El Shafei François Jauffret Tom Okker | ||
| Tom Okker Tony Roche 2–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–4 | William Bowrey Owen Davidson | ||||
| Billie Jean King Bob Hewitt 6–2, 3–6, 6–1 | Virginia Wade Bob Maud |
| Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 May | Jan Kodeš 6–2, 6–4, 6–0 | Ilie Năstase Arthur Ashe François Jauffret  Martin Mulligan | |||
| Ilie Năstase Ion Țiriac 6–2, 6–4, 6–3 | Arthur Ashe Charlie Pasarell | ||||
| Billie Jean King Bob Hewitt 3–6, 6–4, 6–2 | Françoise Dürr Jean-Claude Barclay |
| Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Jun | John Newcombe 5–7, 6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 6–1 | Clark Graebner Tony Roche Bob Carmichael Roy Emerson | |||
| John Newcombe Tony Roche 10–8, 6–3, 6–1 | Ken Rosewall Fred Stolle | ||||
| Rosemary Casals Ilie Năstase 6–3, 4–6, 9–7 | Olga Morozova Alex Metreveli |
| Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Jul | Swedish Championships Båstad, Sweden Clay – 32S/21D Group 1 | Dick Crealy 6–3, 6–1, 6–1 |  Per Jemsby Clark Graebner John Alexander Patricio Rodríguez | ||
| Dick Crealy Allan Stone 6–2, 2–6, 12–12 RET. | |||||
| 13 Jul | Washington Star International Washington, United States Clay – $35,000 – 64S/32D Group 2 | Cliff Richey 7–5, 6–2, 6–1 | Bob Hewitt Georges Goven Dick Crealy Stan Smith | ||
| Bob Hewitt Frew McMillan 7–5, 6–0 | Ilie Năstase Ion Țiriac | ||||
| 20 Jul | Western Championships Cincinnati, United States Clay – $25,000 – 64S/32D Group 2 | Ken Rosewall 7–9, 9–7, 8–6 | Clark Graebner Ion Țiriac Stan Smith Bob Hewitt | ||
| Ilie Năstase Ion Țiriac 6–3, 6–4 | Bob Hewitt Frew McMillan | ||||
| 27 Jul | U.S. Clay Court Championships Indianapolis, United States Clay – $50,000 – 64S/32D Group 1 | Cliff Richey 6–2, 10–8, 3–6, 6–1 | Frew McMillan Clark Graebner Allan Stone Jaime Fillol | ||
| Arthur Ashe Clark Graebner 2–6, 6–4, 6–4 | Ilie Năstase Ion Țiriac |
| Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Sep | Ken Rosewall 2–6, 6–4, 7–6(5–2), 6–3 | Dennis Ralston  Brian Fairlie Stan Smith Arthur Ashe | |||
| Pierre Barthès Nikola Pilić 6–3, 7–6, 4–6, 7–6 | Roy Emerson Rod Laver | ||||
| Margaret Court Marty Riessen 6–4, 6–4 | Judy Tegart Frew McMillan | ||||
| 21 Sep | Rod Laver 4–6, 6–4, 7–6(7–5) | Stan Smith Clark Graebner Marty Riessen Pancho Gonzales | |||
| Tom Okker Marty Riessen 7–6, 6–2 | Bob Lutz Stan Smith | ||||
| 28 Sep | Pacific Coast Championships Berkeley, United States Group 2 Hard – 64S/32D | Arthur Ashe 6–4, 6–2, 6–4 | Bob Carmichael Jan Kodeš Jaime Fillol  Thomaz Koch | ||
| Bob Lutz Stan Smith 6–2, 7–5, 4–6, 6–2 | Roy Barth Tom Gorman |
| Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Oct | Phoenix Thunderbird Open Phoenix, United States Hard – 31S/16D Group 2 | Stan Smith 6–3, 6–7, 6–1 | Charlie Pasarell Jan Kodeš Frank Froehling Tom Edlefsen | ||
| Dick Crealy Ray Ruffels 7–6, 6–3 | Jan Kodeš Charlie Pasarell |
| Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Nov | Stan Smith 5–7, 6–4, 6–4 | Mark Cox Georges Goven Dennis Ralston Roy Emerson | |||
| Arthur Ashe Stan Smith 6–0, 5–7, 7–5 | Bob Carmichael Owen Davidson | ||||
| 8 Nov | South American Championships Buenos Aires, Argentina Group 1 Clay – 32S/8D | Željko Franulović 6–4, 6–2, 6–0 | Ray Ruffels Jan Kukal Dick Crealy Cliff Richey | ||
| Bob Carmichael Ray Ruffels 7–5, 6–2, 5–7, 6–7, 6–3 | Željko Franulović Jan Kodeš | ||||
| Arthur Ashe 7–6, 6–4, 6–3 | Pancho Gonzales Dennis Ralston Roger Taylor Ken Rosewall | ||||
| Pancho Gonzales Ken Rosewall 6–4, 7–6, 7–6 | Tom Okker Marty Riessen | ||||
| 16 Nov | Embassy British Indoor Championships London, England Group 1 Carpet – 32S/16D Singles | Rod Laver 6–3, 6–4, 6–4 | Ilie Năstase Dennis Ralston Roger Taylor Pancho Gonzales | ||
| Ken Rosewall Stan Smith 6–4, 6–3, 6–2 | Ilie Năstase Ion Țiriac |
| Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Dec | NA | NA | |||
| Jan Kodeš Rod Laver |
The tournaments listed above were divided into three categories. Class A consisted of the Grand Slams while the other tournaments were divided into Class 1 and Class 2. Points were allocated based on these groups and the finishing position of a player in a tournament. Ties were settled by the number of tournaments played. The points allocation is listed below:
| Position | Name | Nation | Points | Prize Money (US$) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 | 25,000 | |||
| 2 | 55 | 17,000 | |||
| 3 | 53 | 15,000 | |||
| 4 | 51 | 12,000 | |||
| 5 | 47 | 10,500 | |||
| 6 | 35 | 9,500 | |||
| 7 | 35 | 8,500 | |||
| 8 | 33 | 7,500 | |||
| 9 | 32 | 6,500 | |||
| 10 | 31 | 6,000 | |||
| 11 | 25 | 5,500 | |||
| 12 | 25 | 5,000 | |||
| 13 | 24 | 4,500 | |||
| 14 | 22 | 4,000 | |||
| 15 | 22 | 3,500 | |||
| 16 | 22 | 3,000 | |||
| 17 | 20 | 2,500 | |||
| 18 | 19 | 2,000 | |||
| 19 | 19 | 1,500 | |||
| 20 | 19 | 1,000 |
The list of winners and number of singles titles won (Grand Slams and Masters in bold text), alphabetically by last name:
Arthur Ashe (3) Australian Open, Berkeley, Paris Indoor Mark Cox (1) Bournemouth Dick Crealy (1) Båstad Rod Laver (4) Louisville, South Orange, Los Angeles, Wembley John Newcombe (1) Wimbledon Cliff Richey (2) Washington, Indianapolis Tony Roche (2) Gstaad, Boston Ray Ruffels (1) Merion Ken Rosewall (2) Cincinnati, US Open
Manuel Santana (1) Barcelona Stan Smith (3) Phoenix, Stockholm, Pepsi-Cola MastersThe list of winners and number of doubles titles won (Grand Slams and Masters in bold text), last name alphabetically:
Arthur Ashe (3) Indianapolis, Stockholm, Pepsi-Cola Masters Pierre Barthès (2) Munich, US Open William Bowrey (1) Merion Bob Carmichael (1) Buenos Aires Dick Crealy (2) Båstad, Phoenix Owen Davidson (1) Munich Roy Emerson (1) Boston Clark Graebner (1) Indianapolis Rod Laver (1) Boston Bob Lutz (2) Australian Open, Berkeley John Newcombe (2) Wimbledon, Louisville Marty Riessen (1) Los Angeles Tony Roche (3) Bournemouth, Wimbledon, Louisville Ken Rosewall (1) London Ray Ruffels (3) Merion, Phoenix, Buenos Aires Stan Smith (5) Australian Open, Berkeley, London, Stockholm, Pepsi-Cola Masters Allan Stone (1) BåstadThe list of winners and number of mixed doubles titles won (Grand Slams and Masters in bold text), alphabetically by last name:
Marty Riessen (1) US OpenThe following players won their first singles title in 1970:
Dick Crealy Båstad