The ATP will launch the “Champions Club” initiative to celebrate the former champions of the ATP World Tour Finals and recognise all singles players and doubles teams to have qualified for the season-ending tournament since the inaugural edition in Tokyo in 1970.
Many of the greatest tennis stars from the past 45 years will gather at this year’s ATP World Tour Finals to be held at the O2 Arena in London from 15th to 22nd November. They will have the chance to meet again their colleagues of the past and the world’s best players of today.
The Groups A and B for both the singles and doubles will be renamed to honour players who made the hstory of the season-ending event since the 1970s.
The Group A will be renamed in honour of Stan Smith, winner of the inaugural edition in Tokyo in 1970. The Group B will be renamed in honour of Ilie Nastase, a four-time winner of the event from 1971 to 1973 and 1975.
In the doubles tournament the Group A will be renamed Ashe/Smith in honour of Arthur Ashe and Stan Smith, who won the inaugural edition in Tokyo in 1970. The Group B will renamed Fleming/McEnroe, who clinched seven consecutive editions of the tournament.
“This tournament has such a rich and unique history and the “Finals Club” will provide us with a great way to celebrate that moving forward”, said ATP Executive Chairman and President Chris Kermode. “Qualifying for this tournament is an incredible achievement in itself. The Finals Club will keep our former players involved with our season-ending event and we look forward to welcoming players from the 1970s at the Os Arena, as well as players from subsequent decades in the years to come”.
“I look forward to returning to the season-finale and to joining some of my fellow competitors from the 1970s in the gallery”, said Stan Smith. “As we marvel the performances of the likes of Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, I will also reflect on the incredible growth of men’s professional tennis and reminisce with rivals turned friends. I will forever remember winning the very first singles and doubles in Tokyo in 1970 and I am truly honnoured that the ATP has chosen to celebrate its history by renaming the groups in this way for 2015”.