The Formation of The Grand Prix
The manipulation of Grand Slams in particular by professional promoters at the start of the Open Era led Jack Kramer, the former No. 1 male tennis player in the world in the 1940s and 1950s and a promoter himself, to conceive the Grand Prix in 1969. He described it as "a series of tournaments with a money bonus pool that would be split up on the basis of a cumulative point system." This would encourage the best players to compete regularly in the series, so that they could share in the bonus at the end and qualify for a special championship tournament that would climax the year".
When only a few contract players showed up for the 1970 French Open, the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF), the predecessor of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), approved the Grand Prix.
Read more about this topic: Grand Prix Tennis Circuit
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