1976 Grand Prix (tennis)

1976 Grand Prix circuitDetails

Duration| 28 December 1975 – 13 December 1976
Edition| 7th
Tournaments| 48
Achievements (singles)
Most tournament titles|  Jimmy Connors (7)
Most tournament finals|  Manuel Orantes (10)
Prize money leader|  Raúl Ramírez ($190,000)
Points leader|  Raúl Ramírez (938)
Awards
Player of the year|  Björn Borg
Newcomer of the year|  Wojciech Fibak

<- 1975

1977 ->

Jimmy Connors finished the year as ATP world No. 1 for the third time in his career. Connors won seven titles during the season, including a major at the US Open.

Raúl Ramírez was the 1976 Grand Prix No. 1. Ramírez won two tournaments during the season.

Björn Borg was named the ATP Player of the Year. Borg won three tournaments during the season, including a major at the Wimbledon Championships, and finished runner-up at another major at the US Open.

The 1976 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix was a professional 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] The circuit consisted of the four modern Grand Slam tournaments and open tournaments recognised by the ILTF. The Commercial Union Assurance Masters is included in this calendar but did not count towards the Grand Prix ranking.[2]

The 1976 Grand Prix circuit consisted of 48 tournaments held in 21 different countries.

## Schedule[edit]

Key
Triple Crown

Grand Prix Masters
Five-star events
Four-star events
Three-star events
Two-star events
One-star events
Team events

### December 1975[edit]

Week  | Tournament  | Champions  | Runners-up  | Semifinalists  | Quarterfinalists

|
|
|
|
|

28 Dec | Australian Open
Melbourne, Australia
Grand Slam
Two Star
Grass – $75,000 – 64S/32D
Singles – Doubles |  Mark Edmondson
6–7, 6–3, 7–6, 6–1 |  John Newcombe |  Ken Rosewall
Ray Ruffels |  Brad Drewett
Dick Crealy
Tony Roche
Ross Case
John Newcombe
Tony Roche
7–6, 6–4 |  Ross Case
Geoff Masters

### May[edit]

Week  | Tournament  | Champions  | Runners-up  | Semifinalists  | Quarterfinalists

|
|
|
|
|

4 May | Romika Cup
Munich, West Germany
Clay – $50,000 – 32S/16D
One Star
Singles – Doubles |  Manuel Orantes
6–1, 6–4, 6–1 |  Karl Meiler |  Hans Kary
Jan Kodeš |  François Jauffret
Mike Cahill
Jiří Hřebec
Juan Gisbert Sr.
Juan Gisbert Sr.
Manuel Orantes
1–6, 6–3, 6–2, 2–3 RET. |  Jürgen Fassbender
Hans-Jürgen Pohmann
11 May | Coca-Cola British Hard Court Championships
Bournemouth, Great Britain
Clay – 48S/24D/16XD
Two Star |  Wojciech Fibak
6–2, 7–9, 6–2, 6–2 |  Manuel Orantes |  Corrado Barazzutti
François Jauffret |  Hans Kary
Norman Holmes
Iván Molina
Jean-François Caujolle
Wojciech Fibak
Fred McNair
4–6, 7–5, 7–5 |  Juan Gisbert Sr.
Manuel Orantes
Linky Boshoff
Colin Dowdeswell
6–8, 8–6, 6–1 |  Ilana Kloss
Byron Bertram
18 May | German Open
Hamburg, West Germany
Clay – $100,000 – 64S/32D
Three Star |  Eddie Dibbs
6–4, 4–6, 6–1, 2–6, 6–1 |  Manuel Orantes |  Jaime Fillol
Hans Kary |  Ulrich Pinner
Jiří Hřebec
Balázs Taróczy
José Higueras
Fred McNair
Sherwood Stewart
7–6, 7–6, 7–6 |  Dick Crealy
Kim Warwick
25 May | Italian Open
Rome, Italy
Clay – $150,000 – 64S/32D
Five Star |  Adriano Panatta
2–6, 7–6, 6–2, 7–6 |  Guillermo Vilas |  Eddie Dibbs
John Newcombe |  Corrado Barazzutti
Mark Edmondson
Harold Solomon
Jan Kodeš
Brian Gottfried
Raúl Ramírez
7–6, 5–7, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3[note 1] |  Geoff Masters
John Newcombe
Agfa Colour Cup
Düsseldorf, West Germany
Clay – $50,000 – 48S/24D
Two Star |  Björn Borg
6–2, 6–2, 6–0 |  Manuel Orantes |  José Higueras
Jaime Fillol |  Byron Bertram
Dick Crealy
Wojciech Fibak
Kjell Johansson
Wojciech Fibak
Karl Meiler
6–4, 4–6, 6–4 |  Bob Carmichael
Raymond Moore
31 May | French Open
Paris, France
Grand Slam
Triple Crown
Clay – 128S/64D/32XD
Singles – Doubles – Mixed doubles |  Adriano Panatta
6–1, 6–4, 4–6, 7–6(7–3) |  Harold Solomon |  Eddie Dibbs
Raúl Ramírez |  Björn Borg
Manuel Orantes
Balázs Taróczy
Guillermo Vilas
Fred McNair
Sherwood Stewart
7–6(8–6), 6–3, 6–1 |  Brian Gottfried
Raúl Ramírez
Ilana Kloss
Kim Warwick
5–7, 7–6, 6–2 |  Linky Boshoff
Colin Dowdeswell

### June[edit]

Week  | Tournament  | Champions  | Runners-up  | Semifinalists  | Quarterfinalists

|
|
|
|
|

14 Jun | John Player Open
Nottingham, Great Britain
Grass – $100,000 – 64S/32D
Three Star | No Winner |  Jimmy Connors
Ilie Năstase
6–2, 4–6, 1–1 Match Abandoned |  Raúl Ramírez
Ove Bengtson |  Tom Okker
Vijay Amritraj
Ismail El Shafei
Roger Taylor
Not completed. (5 pairs remaining) |
Berlin Open
Berlin, West Germany
Clay – $50,000 – 32S/15D
One Star |  Víctor Pecci
6–1, 6–2, 5–7, 6–3 |  Hans-Jürgen Pohmann |  Julián Ganzábal
Ricardo Cano |  Belus Prajoux
Juan Gisbert Sr.
Wojciech Fibak
Werner Zirngibl
Patricio Cornejo
Antonio Muñoz
7–5, 6–1 |  Jürgen Fassbender
Hans-Jürgen Pohmann
21 Jun | Wimbledon Championships
London, Great Britain
Grand Slam
Triple Crown
Grass – $160,000 – 128S/64D/64XD
Singles – Doubles – Mixed doubles |  Björn Borg
6–4, 6–2, 9–7 |  Ilie Năstase |  Raúl Ramírez
Roscoe Tanner |  Vitas Gerulaitis
Charlie Pasarell
Guillermo Vilas
Jimmy Connors
Brian Gottfried
Raúl Ramírez
3–6, 6–3, 8–6, 2–6, 7–5 |  Ross Case
Geoff Masters
Françoise Dürr
Tony Roche
6–3, 2–6, 7–5 |  Rosemary Casals
Dick Stockton

### July[edit]

Week  | Tournament  | Champions  | Runners-up  | Semifinalists  | Quarterfinalists

|
|
|
|
|

5 Jul | Swedish Open
Båstad, Sweden
Clay – $100,000 – 64S/32D
Three Star |  Antonio Zugarelli
4–6, 7–5, 6–2 |  Corrado Barazzutti |  Byron Bertram
Billy Martin |  Fred McNair
Peter Fleming
Raymond Moore
Per Hegna
Fred McNair
Sherwood Stewart
6–3, 6–4 |  Wojciech Fibak
Juan Gisbert Sr.
Swiss Open
Gstaad, Switzerland
Clay – $75,000 – 48S/24D
Two Star |  Raúl Ramírez
7–5, 6–7, 6–1, 6–3 |  Adriano Panatta |  Jan Kodeš
Onny Parun |  Paolo Bertolucci
Jeff Borowiak
Karl Meiler
Ricardo Cano
Jürgen Fassbender
Hans-Jürgen Pohmann
7–5, 6–3, 6–3  |  Paolo Bertolucci
Adriano Panatta
12 Jul | Western Championships
Cincinnati, United States
Clay – $100,000 – 64S/32D
Three Star |  Roscoe Tanner
4–6, 7–5, 6–2 |  Eddie Dibbs |  Dick Stockton
Dick Crealy |  Trey Waltke
Stan Smith
Bill Scanlon
Cliff Richey
Stan Smith
Erik van Dillen
6–1, 6–1 |  Eddie Dibbs
Harold Solomon
Dutch Open
Hilversum, Netherlands
Clay – $75,000 – 32S/16D
One Star |  Balázs Taróczy
6–7, 2–6, 6–1, 6–3 |  Ricardo Cano |  Ángel Giménez
Belus Prajoux |  Manuel Santana
Robin Drysdale
Raymond Moore
Jean-François Caujolle
Ricardo Cano
Belus Prajoux
6–4, 6–3 |  Wojciech Fibak
Balázs Taróczy
19 Jul | Head Cup
Kitzbühel, Austria
Clay – $75,000 – 64S/32D
Two Star |  Manuel Orantes
7–6, 6–2, 7–6 |  Jan Kodeš |  Hans-Jürgen Pohmann
François Jauffret |  Jean-Louis Haillet
Charlie Pasarell
Ramiro Benavides
Jeff Borowiak
Jiří Hřebec
Jan Kodeš
6–7, 6–2, 6–4  |  Jürgen Fassbender
Hans-Jürgen Pohmann
26 Jul | Washington Star International
Washington, D.C., USA
Clay – $125,000 – 64S/32D
Four star |  Jimmy Connors
6–2, 6–4 |  Raúl Ramírez |  Brian Fairlie
Raymond Moore |  Dick Stockton
Víctor Pecci
Stan Smith
Eddie Dibbs
Brian Gottfried
Raúl Ramírez
6–3, 6–3  |  Arthur Ashe
Jimmy Connors

### August[edit]

Week  | Tournament  | Champions  | Runners-up  | Semifinalists  | Quarterfinalists

|
|
|
|
|

2 Aug | Louisville International
Louisville, United States
Clay – $125,000 – 64S/32D
Four Star |  Harold Solomon
6–2, 7–5 |  Wojciech Fibak |  Dick Stockton
Stan Smith |  Guillermo Vilas
Jaime Fillol
Raúl Ramírez
Víctor Pecci
Byron Bertram
Pat Cramer
6–3, 6–4 |  Stan Smith
Erik van Dillen
Volvo International
North Conway, United States
$100,000 – Clay – 64S/32D
Three Star
Singles – Doubles |  Jimmy Connors
7–6, 4–6, 6–3 |  Raúl Ramírez |  Željko Franulović
Cliff Richey |  Eddie Dibbs
Wojciech Fibak
Brian Gottfried
Manuel Orantes
Brian Gottfried
Raúl Ramírez
6–3, 6–0  |  Ricardo Cano
Víctor Pecci
Buckeye Tennis Championships
Columbus, United States
Clay – 48S/24D
Two Star |  Roscoe Tanner
6–4, 7–6(7–5) |  Stan Smith |  Brian Teacher
Vijay Amritraj |  Patricio Cornejo
Dick Stockton
Colin Dibley
Anand Amritraj
William Brown
Brian Teacher
6–3, 6–4  |  Fred McNair
Sherwood Stewart
9 Aug | U.S. Clay Court Championships
Indianapolis, United States
Four Star
Clay – $125,000 – 64S/32D
Singles – Doubles |  Jimmy Connors
6–2, 6–4 |  Wojciech Fibak |  Harold Solomon
Guillermo Vilas |  Eddie Dibbs
Manuel Orantes
Buster Mottram
Brian Gottfried
Brian Gottfried
Raúl Ramírez
6–2, 6–2 |  Fred McNair
Sherwood Stewart
16 Aug | Rothmans Canadian Open
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Clay – $125,000 – 64S/32D
Four Star |  Guillermo Vilas
6–4, 7–6, 6–2 |  Wojciech Fibak |  Jaime Fillol
Brian Fairlie |  Onny Parun
Paolo Bertolucci
Víctor Pecci
Bob Hewitt
Bob Hewitt
Raúl Ramírez
6–2, 6–1  |  Juan Gisbert Sr.
Manuel Orantes
23 Aug | U.S. Professional Tennis Championships
Boston, United States
Clay – $125,000 – 64S/32D
Four Star
Singles – Doubles |  Björn Borg
6–7(3–7), 6–4, 6–1, 6–2 |  Harold Solomon |  Raúl Ramírez
Eddie Dibbs |  Jimmy Connors
Paolo Bertolucci
Guillermo Vilas
Adriano Panatta
Ray Ruffels
Allan Stone
3–6, 6–3, 7–6 |  Mike Cahill
John Whitlinger
Tennis Week Open
South Orange, United States
Clay – $50,000 – 32S/16D
One Star  |  Ilie Năstase
6–4, 6–2 |  Roscoe Tanner |  Balázs Taróczy
Onny Parun |  Vijay Amritraj
Buster Mottram
Bernard Mitton
Željko Franulović
Fred McNair
Marty Riessen
7–5, 4–6, 6–2  |  Vitas Gerulaitis
Ilie Năstase
30 Aug | US Open
New York City, United States
Grand Slam
Triple Crown
Clay – $217,000 – 128S/64D/32XD
Singles – Doubles – Mixed doubles |  Jimmy Connors
6–4, 3–6, 7–6(11–9), 6–4 |  Björn Borg |  Guillermo Vilas
Ilie Năstase |  Jan Kodeš
Eddie Dibbs
Dick Stockton
Manuel Orantes
Tom Okker
Marty Riessen
6–4, 6–0  |  Paul Kronk
Cliff Letcher
Betty Stöve
Frew McMillan
6–3, 7–6  |  Billie Jean King
Ray Ruffels

### September[edit]

Week  | Tournament  | Champions  | Runners-up  | Semifinalists  | Quarterfinalists

|
|
|
|
|

13 Sep | Grow Professional Doubles Championships
The Woodlands, United States
Hard – $100,000 – 16D |  Brian Gottfried
Raúl Ramírez
6–1, 6–4, 5–7, 7–6 |  Phil Dent
Allan Stone |  McNair /  Stewart
El Shafei /  Fairlie |
Bermuda Classic
Bermuda
Clay – $50,000 – 32S/16D
One Star |  Cliff Richey
7–6, 6–2 |  Gene Mayer |  Dick Crealy
John Yuill |  John Lloyd
Álvaro Fillol
Steve Krulevitz
Balázs Taróczy
Mike Cahill
John Whitlinger
6–4, 4–6, 7–6  |  Mark Edmondson
John Marks
20 Sep | Arco Pacific Southwest Open
Los Angeles, United States
Carpet – $125,000 – 64S/32D
Four Star
Singles – Doubles |  Brian Gottfried
6–2, 6–2 |  Arthur Ashe |  Ilie Năstase
Raúl Ramírez |  Jimmy Connors
Dick Stockton
John Lloyd
Sandy Mayer
Bob Lutz
Stan Smith
6–2, 3–6, 6–3  |  Arthur Ashe
Charlie Pasarell
27 Sep | Fireman's Fund International
San Francisco, United States
Carpet – $125,000 – 64S/32D
Four Star |  Roscoe Tanner
4–6, 7–5, 6–1 |  Brian Gottfried |  Sherwood Stewart
Dick Stockton |  Harold Solomon
Vijay Amritraj
Butch Walts
Arthur Ashe
Dick Stockton
Roscoe Tanner
6–3, 6–4  |  Brian Gottfried
Bob Hewitt

### October[edit]

Week  | Tournament  | Champions  | Runners-up  | Semifinalists  | Quarterfinalists

|
|
|
|
|

4 Oct | Aryamehr Cup
Tehran, Iran
Clay – $150,000 – 64S/32D
Five Star |  Manuel Orantes
7–6, 6–0, 2–6, 6–4 |  Raúl Ramírez |  Guillermo Vilas
Eddie Dibbs |  Hans-Jürgen Pohmann
Paolo Bertolucci
Antonio Zugarelli
Wojciech Fibak
Wojciech Fibak
Raúl Ramírez
7–5, 6–1 |  Juan Gisbert Sr.
Manuel Orantes
Island Holidays Classic
Maui, United States
Hard – $100,000 – 48S/24D
Three Star |  Harold Solomon
6–3, 5–7, 7–5 |  Bob Lutz |  Marty Riessen
Stan Smith |  John Lloyd
John Newcombe
Brian Fairlie
Arthur Ashe
Raymond Moore
Allan Stone
6–7, 6–3, 6–4 |  Dick Stockton
Roscoe Tanner
11 Oct | Trofeo Gillette
Madrid, Spain
Clay – 64S/32D
Three Star |  Manuel Orantes
7–6, 6–2, 6–1 |  Eddie Dibbs |  Raúl Ramírez
Wojciech Fibak |  Balázs Taróczy
Jan Kodeš
Jaime Fillol
Bob Hewitt
Wojciech Fibak
Raúl Ramírez
4–6, 7–5, 6–3 |  Bob Hewitt
Frew McMillan
Air India/BP Tennis Classic
Brisbane, Australia
Grass – $50,000 – 32S/16D
One Star |  Mark Edmondson
3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–4 |  Phil Dent |  Allan Stone
Tom Gorman |  Ray Ruffels
Kim Warwick
Dick Crealy
Brian Fairlie
Syd Ball
Kim Warwick
6–4, 6–4 |  Ismail El Shafei
Brian Fairlie
18 Oct | CC Australian Indoor Championships
Sydney, Australia
Four Star
Hard (i) – $125,000 – 48S/24D
Singles – Doubles |  Geoff Masters
4–6, 6–3, 7–6, 6–3 |  James Delaney |  Mark Edmondson
Dick Crealy |  Paul Kronk
Sashi Menon
Bill Scanlon
Kim Warwick
Ismail El Shafei
Brian Fairlie
4–6, 6–4, 7–6 |  Syd Ball
Kim Warwick
Trofeo Conde de Godó
Barcelona, Spain
Clay – $100,000 – 64S/32D
Three Star |  Manuel Orantes
6–1, 2–6, 2–6, 7–5, 6–4 |  Eddie Dibbs |  Raúl Ramírez
Harold Solomon |  Jan Kodeš
Željko Franulović
Brian Gottfried
Javier Soler
Brian Gottfried
Raúl Ramírez
7–6, 6–4 |  Bob Hewitt
Frew McMillan
25 Oct | Hitachi West Coast Classic
Perth, Australia
Hard – $50,000 – 32S/16D
One Star |  Ray Ruffels
6–0, 4–6, 2–6, 6–3, 6–2 |  Phil Dent |  Roscoe Tanner
Dick Stockton |  Dick Crealy
Tim Gullikson
Syd Ball
Gene Mayer
Dick Stockton
Roscoe Tanner
6–7, 6–1, 6–2 |  Bob Carmichael
Ismail El Shafei
Jean Becker Open
Paris, France
Hard (i) – $50,000 – 32S/16D
One Star
Singles – Doubles |  Eddie Dibbs
5–7, 6–4, 6–4, 7–6 |  Jaime Fillol |  Mark Cox
Stan Smith |  Erik van Dillen
Tom Okker
Sherwood Stewart
Paolo Bertolucci
Tom Okker
Marty Riessen
6–2, 6–2  |  Fred McNair
Sherwood Stewart
Fischer Grand Prix
Vienna, Austria
Hard (i) – $50,000 – 32S/16D
One Star
Singles – Doubles |  Wojciech Fibak
6–7, 6–3, 6–4, 2–6, 6–1 |  Raúl Ramírez |  Ove Bengtson
Víctor Pecci |  Vitas Gerulaitis
Arthur Ashe
Brian Gottfried
Balázs Taróczy
Bob Hewitt
Frew McMillan
6–4, 4–0 RET. |  Brian Gottfried
Raúl Ramírez

### November[edit]

Week  | Tournament  | Champions  | Runners-up  | Semifinalists  | Quarterfinalists

|
|
|
|
|

1 Nov | Dewar Cup
London, Great Britain
Carpet – $100,000 – 32S/16D
Three Star |  Raúl Ramírez
6–3, 6–4 |  Manuel Orantes |  Mark Cox
Jaime Fillol |  Bernard Mitton
Antonio Zugarelli
Arthur Ashe
Wojciech Fibak
David Lloyd
John Lloyd
6–4, 3–6, 6–3 |  John Feaver
John James
Japan Open Tennis Championships
Tokyo, Japan
Clay – $100,000 – 48S/24D
Three Star |  Roscoe Tanner
6–3, 6–2 |  Corrado Barazzutti |  Dick Stockton
Ken Rosewall |  Jürgen Fassbender
Dick Crealy
Brian Fairlie
John Whitlinger
Bob Carmichael
Ken Rosewall
6–4, 6–4 |  Ismail El Shafei
Brian Fairlie
Cologne Cup
Cologne, West Germany
Carpet – $50,000 – 32S/16D
One Star |  Jimmy Connors
6–2, 6–3 |  Frew McMillan |  Brian Gottfried
Víctor Pecci |  Jiří Hřebec
František Pála
Henry Bunis
Harold Solomon
Bob Hewitt
Frew McMillan
6–1, 3–6, 7–6 |  Colin Dowdeswell
Mike Estep
8 Nov | Stockholm Open
Stockholm, Sweden
Five Star
Hard (i) – $150,000 – 64S/32D
Singles – Doubles |  Mark Cox
4–6, 7–5, 7–6(7–3) |  Manuel Orantes |  Jimmy Connors
Brian Gottfried |  Raúl Ramírez
Byron Bertram
Haroon Rahim
Björn Borg
Bob Hewitt
Frew McMillan
6–4, 4–6, 6–4 |  Tom Okker
Marty Riessen
Citizen's Classic
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Hard – $75,000 – 32S/16D
Two Star |  Ken Rosewall
1–6, 6–4, 7–6, 6–0 |  Ilie Năstase |  James Hagey
Gene Mayer |  Emilio Montaño
Hans-Jürgen Pohmann
Steve Krulevitz
Paul Kronk
Hank Pfister
Butch Walts
6–4, 6–2 |  Anand Amritraj
Ilie Năstase
15 Nov | Benson & Hedges Championships
London, Great Britain
Four Star
Carpet – $125,000 – 32S/16D |  Jimmy Connors
3–6, 7–6(8–6), 6–4 |  Roscoe Tanner |  Brian Gottfried
Wojciech Fibak |  Stan Smith
Raúl Ramírez
Tom Okker
Ilie Năstase
Stan Smith
Roscoe Tanner
7–6, 6–3 |  Wojciech Fibak
Brian Gottfried
Philippine Open
Manila, the Philippines
Clay – $75,000 – 48S/24D
Two Star |  Brian Fairlie
7–5, 6–7, 7–6  |  Ray Ruffels |  Geoff Masters
Dick Crealy |  Mike Machette
Hans-Jürgen Pohmann
Mark Edmondson
Ross Case
Ross Case
Geoff Masters
6–0, 6–1 |  Anand Amritraj
Corrado Barazzutti
São Paulo Open
São Paulo, Brazil
Carpet – $50,000 – 32S/16D
One Star |  Guillermo Vilas
6–3, 6–0 |  José Higueras |  Jorge Andrew
Thomaz Koch |  Belus Prajoux
Víctor Pecci
Ricardo Cano
Adriano Panatta
Lito Álvarez
Víctor Pecci
6–4, 3–6, 6–3 |  Ricardo Cano
Belus Prajoux
22 Nov | South African Breweries Open
Johannesburg, South Africa
Hard – $150,000 – 48S/24D/16XD
Five Star |  Harold Solomon
6–2, 6–7, 6–3, 6–4 |  Brian Gottfried |  Raúl Ramírez
Stan Smith |  Cliff Richey
Raymond Moore
Roscoe Tanner
Willem Prinsloo
Brian Gottfried
Sherwood Stewart
1–6, 6–1, 6–2, 7–6 |  Juan Gisbert Sr.
Stan Smith
Betsy Nagelsen
Bob Hewitt
6–2, 7–6 |  Annette du Plooy
Deon Joubert
South American Open
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Clay – $75,000 – 32S/16D
Two Star
Singles |  Guillermo Vilas
6–2, 6–2, 6–3 |  Jaime Fillol |  Paolo Bertolucci
Thomaz Koch |  José Higueras
Željko Franulović
Víctor Pecci
Ricardo Cano
Carlos Kirmayr
Tito Vázquez
6–4, 7–5  |  Ricardo Cano
Belus Prajoux
Indian Open
Bangalore, India
Clay – $50,000 – 32S/16D
One Star |  Kim Warwick
6–1, 6–2 |  Sashi Menon |  Haroon Rahim
Doug Crawford |  Bob Carmichael
Alvin Gardiner
Mike Cahill
Ashok Amritraj
Bob Carmichael
Ray Ruffels
6–2, 7–6 |  Chiradip Mukerjea
Bhanu Nunna

### December[edit]

Week  | Tournament  | Champions  | Runners-up  | Semifinalists  | Quarterfinalists

|
|
|
|
|

6 Dec | Commercial Union Assurance Masters
Houston, United States
Carpet – $130,000 – 8S/4D
Singles – Doubles |  Manuel Orantes
5–7, 6–2, 0–6, 7–6(7–1), 6–1 |  Wojciech Fibak |  Guillermo Vilas
Harold Solomon |

Round robin

Brian Gottfried
Raúl Ramírez
Eddie Dibbs
Roscoe Tanner
Fred McNair
Sherwood Stewart
6–3, 5–7, 5–7, 6–4, 6–4 |  Brian Gottfried
Raúl Ramírez

## Points system[edit]

The tournaments listed above were divided into six groups. Group TC consisted of the Triple Crown--the French Open, the Wimbledon Championships and the US Open--while the other tournaments were given star ratings ranging from five stars to one star, based on prize money and draw size.[3] Points were allocated based on these ratings and the finishing position of a player in a tournament. No points were awarded to first-round losers, and ties were settled by the number of tournaments played. The points allocation, with doubles points listed in brackets, is as follows:

Group TC

* Champion: 160 (32)
* Runner-up: 120 (24)
* Semifinalist: 80 (16)
* Quarterfinalist: 40 (8)
* Fourth Round: 20 (4)
* Third Round: 10 (2)
* Second Round: 5

Five-star

* Champion: 120 (24)
* Runner-up: 90 (18)
* Semifinalist: 60 (12)
* Quarterfinalist: 30 (6)
* 9th – 16th: 15 (3)
* 17th – 32nd: 7
* 33rd – 64th: 1

Four-star

* Champion: 100 (20)
* Runner-up: 75 (15)
* Semifinalist: 50 (10)
* Quarterfinalist: 25 (5)
* 9th – 16th: 12 (2)
* 17th – 32nd: 6

Three-star

* Champion: 80 (16)
* Runner-up: 60 (12)
* Semifinalist: 40 (8)
* 5th – 8th: 20 (4)
* 9th – 16th: 10 (2)
* 17th – 32nd: 5

Two-star

* Champion: 60 (12)
* Runner-up: 45 (9)
* Semifinalist: 30 (6)
* 5th – 8th: 15 (3)
* 9th – 16th: 7 (1)
* 17th – 32nd: 3

One-star

* Champion: 40 (8)
* Runner-up: 30 (6)
* Semifinalist: 20 (4)
* 5th – 8th: 10 (2)
* 9th – 16th: 5

## Standings[edit]

The 1976 Grand Prix tournaments were divided in six separate point categories, ranging from the Triple Crown tournaments (150 points for the winner) to the smallest One Star tournaments (40 points for the winner). At the end of the year the 35 top-ranked players received a bonus from the bonus pool. To qualify for a bonus a player must have played a minimum amount of One and Two Star tournaments. The top eight points ranked singles players and top four doubles teams were entitled to participate in the season-ending Masters tournament.[2]

Rk  | Name  | Points  | Bonus

|
|
|

1 |  Raúl Ramírez (MEX) | 938 | $150,000
2 |  Manuel Orantes (ESP) | 811 | $90,000
3 |  Jimmy Connors (USA) | 800 | –
4 |  Eddie Dibbs (USA) | 687 | $60,000
5 |  Harold Solomon (USA) | 681 | $45,000
6 |  Guillermo Vilas (ARG) | 627 | $35,000
7 |  Roscoe Tanner (USA) | 615 | $30,000
8 |  Wojciech Fibak (POL) | 582 | $26,000
9 |  Brian Gottfried (USA) | 574 | $23,000
10 |  Björn Borg (SWE) | 510 | –

## ATP rankings[edit]

These are the ATP rankings of the top twenty singles players at the end of the 1975 season [4] and at the end of the 1976 season,[5] with numbers of ranking points, points averages, numbers of tournaments played, year-end rankings in 1976, highest and lowest positions during the season and number of spots gained or lost from the first rankings to the year-end rankings.

| As of 15 December 1975[6]

Rk | Name
1 |  Jimmy Connors (USA)
2 |  Guillermo Vilas (ARG)
3 |  Björn Borg (SWE)
4 |  Arthur Ashe (USA)
5 |  Manuel Orantes (ESP)
6 |  Ken Rosewall (AUS)
7 |  Ilie Năstase (ROU)
8 |  John Alexander (AUS)
9 |  Roscoe Tanner (USA)
10 |  Rod Laver (AUS)
11 |  Tom Okker (NED)
12 |  Tony Roche (AUS)
13 |  Raúl Ramírez (MEX)
14 |  Adriano Panatta (ITA)
15 |  Vitas Gerulaitis (USA)
16 |  Jaime Fillol (CHI)
17 |  Harold Solomon (USA)
18 |  Eddie Dibbs (USA)
19 |  Jan Kodeš (TCH)
20 |  John Newcombe (AUS)
| Year-end rankings 1976 (12 December 1976)[7]

Rk  | Name  | Points  | Avg.  | Change
1 |  Jimmy Connors (USA) | 1,204  | 80.27  |  =
2 |  Björn Borg (SWE) | 789  | 52.60  |  +1
3 |  Ilie Năstase (ROU) | 606  | 43.29  |  +1
4 |  Manuel Orantes (ESP) | 902  | 41.00  |  +1
5 |  Raúl Ramírez (MEX) | 1185  | 39.50  |  +8
6 |  Guillermo Vilas (ARG) | 813  | 38.71  |  −4
7 |  Adriano Panatta (ITA) | 447  | 31.93  |  +7
8 |  Harold Solomon (USA) | 893  | 30.79  |  +9
9 |  Eddie Dibbs (USA) | 920  | 30.67  |  +9
10 |  Brian Gottfried (USA) | 794  | 28.36  |  +13
11 |  Roscoe Tanner (USA) | 765  | 28.33  |  −2
12 |  Arthur Ashe (USA) | 575  | 26.14  |  −8
13 |  Ken Rosewall (AUS) | 341  | 24.36  |  −7
14 |  Wojtek Fibak (POL) | 754  | 23.56  |  +44
15 |  Dick Stockton (USA) | 513  | 20.52  |  +15
16 |  Stan Smith (USA) | 514  | 19.04  |  +5
17 |  Mark Cox (GBR) | 298  | 18.63  |  +5
18 |  Vitas Gerulaitis (USA) | 248  | 16.53  |  −3
19 |  Jan Kodeš (TCH) | 334  | 15.90  |  =
20 |  Robert Lutz (USA) | 282  | 15.67  |  +2

## List of tournament winners[edit]

The list of winners and number of Grand Prix singles titles won, alphabetically by last name:

* Paolo Bertolucci (1) Barcelona
* Björn Borg (3) Düsseldorf, Wimbledon, Boston
* Jimmy Connors (6) Washington, North Conway, Indianapolis, US Open, Cologne, Wembley
* Mark Cox (1) Stockholm
* Eddie Dibbs (2) Hamburg, Paris (Jean Becker)
* Mark Edmondson (1) Australian Open
* Brian Fairlie (1) Manila
* Wojciech Fibak (2) Bournemouth, Vienna
* Brian Gottfried (1) Los Angeles
* Geoff Masters (1) Sydney Indoor
* Ilie Năstase (1) South Orange
* Manuel Orantes (5) Munich, Kitzbühel, Madrid, Barcelona, Masters
* Adriano Panatta (2) Rome, French Open
* Víctor Pecci (2) Madrid, Berlin
* Raúl Ramírez (2) Gstaad, London
* Cliff Richey (1) Bermuda
* Ken Rosewall (1) Hong Kong
* Ray Ruffels (1) Perth
* Harold Solomon (2) Maui, Johannesburg
* Roscoe Tanner (4) Cincinnati, Columbus, San Francisco, Tokyo Outdoor
* Balázs Taróczy (1) Hilversum
* Guillermo Vilas (3) Montreal, São Paulo. Buenos Aires
* Kim Warwick (1) Bangalore
* Antonio Zugarelli (1) Båstad

The following players won their first Grand Prix title in 1976:

* Mark Edmondson Australian Open
* Wojtek Fibak Stockholm
* Geoff Masters Sydney Indoor
* Víctor Pecci Madrid
* Kim Warwick Bangalore
* Antonio Zugarelli Båstad

## See also[edit]

* 1976 World Championship Tennis circuit
* 1976 WTA Tour

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ This match was stopped at two sets all due to bad light. The final set was played on 15 September during the Grow Professional Doubles Championships.

## References[edit]

1. ^ "How it All Began". ATPWorldTour.com. Retrieved 2011-03-03.
2. ^ a b John Barrett, ed. (1977). World of Tennis 1977 : a BP yearbook. London: Macdonald and Janes. pp. 25–31. ISBN 9780354090117.
3. ^ "$5-Million Tour For Grand Prix Tennis". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. UPI. 23 January 1976.
4. ^ "ATP Rankings (singles) as of December 15, 1975". atpworldtour.com. ATP Tour, Inc. 15 December 1975. Retrieved 2012-01-11.
5. ^ "ATP Rankings (singles) as of December 12, 1976". atpworldtour.com. ATP Tour, Inc.
6. ^ "ATP rankings 15 Dec, 1975". ATP. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
7. ^ "ATP Year-end top 20". ATP. Retrieved 14 September 2023.

## External links[edit]

* ATP Archive 1976: Commercial Union Grand Prix Tournaments
* ATP – History Mens Professional Tours

## Further reading[edit]

* Collins, Bud (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book (2nd ed.). New York: New Chapter Press. ISBN 978-0-942257-70-0.

* v
* t
* e

Grand Prix / ATP Tour seasons

Grand Prix|

| 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

ATP Tour|

| 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |  |  |  |  |

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

* Association of Tennis Professionals

* v
* t
* e

1976 Grand Prix Tour

« 1975

1977 »

Triple Crown|

* French Open
* Wimbledon
* US Open

Grand Prix circuit|

| Five star|

* Tehran
* Stockholm
* Johannesburg

|

Four star|

* Rome
* Washington
* Louisville
* Indianapolis
* Montreal
* Los Angeles
* San Francisco
* Sydney Indoor
* Wembley

Three star|

* Hamburg
* Båstad
* North Conway
* Cincinnati
* Maui
* Barcelona
* Tokyo Outdoor

Two star|

* Australian Open
* Bournemouth
* Düsseldorf
* Gstaad
* Kitzbühel
* Hong Kong
* Manila
* Buenos Aires

One star|

* Munich
* Berlin
* Hilversum
* Brisbane
* Paris Indoor
* Vienna
* Cologne

Year-end championships|

* Masters

Team events|

* Davis Cup

* v
* t
* e

1976 in tennis

Grand Slam|

* Australian Open
* French Open
* Wimbledon Championships
* US Open

Tours|

| Men|

* WCT circuit
* WCT Finals
* Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix
* Commercial Union Assurance Masters

|

Women|

* WTA Tour
* Virginia Slims Championships

National teams|

| Men|

* Davis Cup
* World Team Cup

|

Women|

* Federation Cup
* Wightman Cup

Other|

* World Team Tennis

* v
* t
* e

Men's tennis seasons

Seasons & ILTF Circuit|

* 1876
* 1877
* 1878
* 1879
* 1880
* 1881
* 1882
* 1883
* 1884
* 1885
* 1886
* 1887
* 1888
* 1889
* 1890
* 1891
* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895
* 1896
* 1897
* 1898
* 1899
* 1900
* 1901
* 1902
* 1903
* 1904
* 1905
* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1909
* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
* 1917
* 1918
* 1919
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969

ILTF Independent Tour
ITF Independent Tour|

* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989

National Tennis League|

* 1968
* 1969

World Championship Tennis|

* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978–81: not held
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984

ILTF Grand Prix
ITF Grand Prix|

* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989

ATP Tour|

* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

*[MEX]: Mexico
*[ESP]: Spain
*[USA]: United States
*[ARG]: Argentina
*[POL]: Poland
*[SWE]: Sweden
*[AUS]: Australia
*[ROU]: Romania
*[NED]: Netherlands
*[ITA]: Italy
*[CHI]: Chile
*[TCH]: Czechoslovakia
*[GBR]: Great Britain
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template