sportsbook betting

In 1972, to protect the interest of male professional tennis players the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) was formed. In 1990, the ATP organized the principal worldwide tennis tour – The ATP Tour. The ATP Tour consists of the following: Grand Slams, ATP Masters Series, ATP International Series Gold, ATP International Series, Masters Cup (season-ending championships)and ATP Challenger Series. The ATP publishes weekly rankings of professional players ATP Entry Ranking, a 52-week rolling ranking and ATP Race, a year to date rankings. Women’s Tennis Association (WTA)
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) formed in 1973 and is the ATP’s counterpart organization. The WTA Tour consists of the following: Grand Slams, Tier Tournaments (Tier I to Tier IV) and the Sony Ericsson Championships (season-ending championships) For sponsorship reasons, the WTA tour has been known as the Sony Ericsson WTA tour since 2005. The Open Era (1968)
Before 1968, only amateurs were allowed to compete in major tennis tournaments including the Grand Slams. Professional tennis players played in annual professional tournaments called championship tournaments, the most prestigious of which was the Wembley Professional Championships at Wembley in England (1934 -1990) and the oldest was the United States Professional Championship (1927 -199). In 1968, the distinction between professional and amateur tennis players was dropped, and the “Open Era” began. The first Grand Slam to go “open” was the French Open.