The Association of Tennis Professionals, or ATP, is an organization of male tennis players. In terms of the history of the game, the ATP also stands for a rebellion by labor against management. Tennis pros in the 1970s decided to form their own organization, the ATP, in order to have more influence over the way the men's tennis tour was organized and run
Formation
Tennis players followed the lead of the rest of the society in the late 1960s and early 1970s by challenging the established power structure, in this case the tournament directors and the sport's governing body, the International Tennis Foundation. In 1968, pros were welcomed into the national championships for the first time. In 1970, tournaments around the world formed a united circuit called the Grand Prix, which gave the players little or no clout in the operations of pro tennis. So in 1972, a handful of players, led by Jack Kramer and Cliff Drysdale, created the ATP to give the players a bigger voice in the conduct of their profession.
Years of Turmoil
From 1972 to 1990, professional tennis experienced a series of battles for control between players, governing bodies and tournament directors. In 1973, most pros boycotted Wimbledon to defend a player who was suspended by the Yugoslavian Federation for skipping a Davis Cup Match. From 1974 to 1989, the men's tour was run by the Men's Tennis Council, composed of representatives from the ATP, the International Tennis Federation and tournament directors from around the world. At the 1988 U.S. Open, players announced the formation of a new circuit run by the ATP Tour. Over 85 of the top 100 players on the men's tour joined the ATP Tour, and many tournament directors supported the players, eventually forming an innovative partnership to manage the new circuit on a coequal basis.
Consolidation
Buoyed by a sponsorship from IBM, the ATP Tour era kicked off in 1990 with 26 tournaments in 28 countries and prize money up by around 50 percent. The first TV package for men's tennis broadcast 19 tournaments in 1991 to an audience around the world. Mercedes-Benz began a sponsorship with the ATP in 1996. An ATP Senior Tour, which later changed its name to the ATP Champions Tour, was launched in 1997.
21st Century
In 2000, the ATP Tour once again became the ATP. Rule changes in 2007, designed to speed up the game and showcase its stars, eliminated five set finals in favor of three set finals. Prize money also increased for the first time since 2000, as a record four million fans attended ATP events while TV ratings climbed. The top three on the ATP, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, took leadership positions on the player council in 2008. In 2009, the ATP inaugurated the ATP World Tour with three tiers of players. The top stars compete in the ATP Masters1000, and the ATP 500 and ATP 250 showcase lower-ranked players who may become the stars of the future. The ATP Champions Tour for older players announced that John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg would resume their rivalry in 2011..
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