 Ashe (left) was prize money leader | |
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Duration | 5 January 1976 – 9 May 1976 |
| Edition | 9th |
| Tournaments | 26 |
| Achievements (singles) | |
| Most titles |  Arthur Ashe (5) |
| Most finals | Arthur Ashe (6) |
| Prize money leader | Arthur Ashe ($253,013) |
| Points leader | Arthur Ashe (860) |
←1975 1977 → | |
The1976 World Championship Tennis circuit was one of the two rival professional men's tennis circuits of 1976. It was organized byWorld Championship Tennis (WCT) and consisted of a schedule of 25 tournaments leading up to a singlesWCT Finals play-off inDallas and a doubles play-off inKansas City in May. A total of 54 players participated, 30 players less than in the previous three years, and the group system used in the previous editions was replaced by a single pool. TheU.S. Pro Indoor was the only tournament in which all players participated, all other tournaments had a 16 men draw. The season final was played by the eight best performers and was won by the SwedeBjörn Borg who defeatedGuillermo Vilas from Argentina in four sets.[1] The total prize money for the 1976 WCT circuit was $2,400,000, including a $320,000Avis Challenge Cup round–robin special event played in Hawaii in January and May.[2]
The Aetna World Cup between teams of the US and Australia was played in March inHartford and was won by the US 6–1.[3]
| Date | Tournament | Location | Draw | Prize Money | Surface | Champion | Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Jan | Monterrey WCT | Monterrey, Mexico | 16S / 8D | $60,000 | Carpet (i) | Eddie Dibbs | Harold Solomon | 7–6, 6–2 |
| 7 Jan | Columbus WCT | Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | 16S / 8D | $60,000 | Carpet (i) | Arthur Ashe |  Andrew Pattison | 3–6, 6–3, 7–6 |
| 12 Jan | Indianapolis WCT | Indianapolis, U.S. | 16S / 8D | Carpet (i) | Arthur Ashe | Vitas Gerulaitis | 6–2, 6–7, 6–4 | |
| 14 Jan | Phoenix Cup | Atlanta, U.S. | 16S / 8D | $60,000 | Carpet (i) |  Ilie Năstase | Jeff Borowiak | 6–2, 6–4 |
| 26 Jan | U.S. Pro Indoor | Philadelphia, U.S. | 64S / 32D | $118,600 | Carpet (i) | Jimmy Connors |  Björn Borg | 7–6(7–5), 6–4, 6–0 |
| 2 Feb | Barcelona WCT | Barcelona, Spain | 16S / 8D | $60,000 | Carpet (i) | Eddie Dibbs |  Cliff Drysdale | 6–1, 6–1 |
| 4 Feb | Richmond WCT | Richmond, Virginia, U.S. | 16S / 8D | $60,000 | Carpet (i) | Arthur Ashe | Brian Gottfried | 6–2, 6–4 |
| 9 Feb | Lagos WCT | Lagos, Nigeria[a] | 16S / 8D | $60,000 | Clay | Dick Stockton | Arthur Ashe | 6–3, 6–2 |
| 10 Feb | Toronto WCT | Toronto, Canada | 16S / 8D | $60,000 | Carpet (i) | Björn Borg | Vitas Gerulaitis | 2–6, 6–3, 6–1 |
| 17 Feb | St. Louis WCT | St. Louis, U.S. | 16S / 8D | $60,000 | Carpet (i) |  Guillermo Vilas |  Vijay Amritraj | 4–6, 6–0, 6–4 |
| 17 Feb | Rome WCT | Rome, Italy | 16S / 8D | $60,000 | Carpet (i) | Arthur Ashe | Bob Lutz | 6–2, 0–6, 6–3 |
| 23 Feb | Fort Worth WCT | Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. | 16S / 8D | $60,000 | Carpet (i) | Guillermo Vilas |  Phil Dent | 6–7, 6–1, 6–1 |
| 23 Feb | Rotterdam WCT | Rotterdam, Netherlands | 16S / 8D | $60,000 | Carpet (i) | Arthur Ashe | Bob Lutz | 6–3, 6–3 |
| 8 Mar | Memphis WCT | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | 16S / 8D | $60,000 | Carpet (i) | Vijay Amritraj | Stan Smith | 6–2, 0–6, 6–0 |
| 8 Mar | Mexico City WCT | Mexico City, Mexico | 16S / 8D | $60,000 | Carpet (i) |  Raúl Ramírez | Eddie Dibbs | 7–6, 6–2 |
| 15 Mar | Washington WCT | Washington, D.C., U.S. | 16S / 8D | $60,000 | Carpet (i) | Harold Solomon |  Onny Parun | 6–3, 6–1 |
| 15 Mar | Jackson WCT | Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. | 16S / 8D | $60,000 | Carpet (i) | Ken Rosewall | Raúl Ramírez | 6–3, 6–3 |
| 29 Mar | Caracas WCT | Caracas, Venezuela | 16S / 8D | $60,000 | Clay | Raúl Ramírez | Ilie Năstase | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 29 Mar | São Paulo WCT | São Paulo, Brazil | 16S / 8D | $60,000 | Carpet (i) | Björn Borg | Guillermo Vilas | 7–6(7–4), 6–2 |
| 5 Apr | Johannesburg WCT | Johannesburg, South Africa | 16S / 8D | Hard | Onny Parun | Cliff Drysdale | 7–6, 6–3 | |
| 5 Apr | Houston WCT | Houston, U.S. | 16S / 8D | $25,000 | Clay | Harold Solomon | Ken Rosewall | 6–1, 4–6, 6–1 |
| 12 Apr | Monte Carlo WCT | Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France | 16S / 8D | $60,000 | Clay | Guillermo Vilas |  Wojciech Fibak | 6–1, 6–1, 6–4 |
| 13 Apr | Charlotte WCT | Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. | 16S / 8D | Clay | Tony Roche | Vitas Gerulaitis | 6–3, 3–6, 6–1 | |
| 19 Apr | Stockholm WCT | Stockholm, Sweden | 16S / 8D | $60,000 | Carpet (i) | Wojciech Fibak | Ilie Năstase | 6–4, 7–6(8–6) |
| 19 Apr | Denver WCT | Denver, U.S. | 16S / 8D | $60,000 | Carpet (i) | Jimmy Connors | Ross Case | 7–6, 6–2 |
| 4 May | Dallas WCT Finals | Dallas, U.S. | 8S | $100,000 | Carpet (i) | Björn Borg | Guillermo Vilas | 1–6, 6–1, 7–5, 6–1 |
The schedule of events on the 1976 WCT circuit, with player progression documented until the quarterfinals stage.[5]
| Week | Tournament | Champions | Runners-up | Semifinalists | Quarterfinalists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 May | WCT Finals Dallas, United States Tour Finals $100,000 – carpet – 8S Singles | Björn Borg 1–6, 6–1, 7–5, 6–1 | Guillermo Vilas | Harold SolomonDick Stockton | Eddie DibbsRobert LutzArthur AsheRaúl Ramírez |
| Player | Tournaments Played | Tournaments Won | Matches Won | Matches Lost | Points | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur Ashe* | 8 | 5 | 26 | 3 | 860 | $253,013 |
| Raúl Ramírez* | 8 | 2 | 18 | 6 | 705 | $104,700 |
| Guillermo Vilas* | 7 | 3 | 19 | 4 | 695 | $99,163 |
| Eddie Dibbs* | 8 | 2 | 19 | 6 | 675 | $79,538 |
| Björn Borg* | 8 | 2 | 17 | 6 | 650 | $135,838 |
| Dick Stockton* | 8 | 1 | 17 | 5 | 595 | $62,475 |
| Bob Lutz* | 8 | 0 | 15 | 9 | 585 | $69,013 |
| Harold Solomon* | 8 | 2 | 16 | 7 | 565 | $75,038 |
| Vitas Gerulaitis | 8 | 0 | 12 | 10 | 540 | $40,900 |
| Brian Gottfried | 8 | 0 | 14 | 8 | 535 | $54,600 |
* Qualified for theWCT Finals.[2]
