Association of Tennis Professionals Logo — The Association of Tennis Professionals ( ATP ) was established in 1972 with the intent to protect and safeguard the interests of all those male players in tennis . A year later, women formalized the Women’s Tennis Association for the same purpose. Since 1990 , the association has organized the main circuit of men’s tennis worldwide, known as ATP Tour (an evolution of the formats previously called World Championship Tennis ). Since 2009, the above was remodeled, becoming named ATP World Tour . The ATP headquarters is located in London, Great Britain , the American division is based in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, the European resides in Monaco , and finally the one dedicated to the world, including Africa, Asia-Pacific has its base in Sydney , Australia.
It was inaugurated in 1972 by a group of players and first administered in the persons of Jack Kramer and Cliff Drysdale . The organization soon took on the responsibility to create an official ranking professional tennis players, which began the following year and continues today. In the period between 1974 and 1989, the circuit was commissioned a sub-committee known as Men’s Tennis Council , comprising representatives of the International Tennis Federation , ATP and various tournament directors.
When ATP and ultimately succeeded suggested that that Council approve the introduction of doping tests, tennis has become the first professional sports with a flexible program of this nature. But the circuit was being handled by tournament directors. The lack of influence of the players themselves triggered a major riot in 1988 by those that substantially affect the structure of the tour .Thus, the CEO Hamilton Jordan is credited with the now famous “Press Conference Parking”, resulting in their ATP Tour. This consolidation also ended a controversial lawsuit argued with Volvo and Donald Dell.
By 1991 the association had since his first television rights to broadcast globally with nineteen events around the world. Later, in 1995, he moved on to the Internet as web, and sign multimillion dollar contracts for long periods with Mercedes-Benz. In 2008, certain legal disputes that basically revolved around the same issues again restructured the circuit.