What happened at the first-ever ATP Finals when Rod Laver, Stan Smith, Arthur Ashe and others competed in a six-person league format

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The ATP Finals have become a cornerstone of the tennis calendar over the past 55 years.

In 2024, Jannik Sinner won the ATP Finals, lifting the trophy in Turin in front of his adoring home crowd.

He had lost in the final one year earlier to Novak Djokovic, the most successful player in the history of the event (six titles).

Each year, the eight players who accumulate the most points qualify for the ATP Finals, where they are split into two groups of four.

The two players in each group with the best records advance to the semi-finals, where the competition continues in the more familiar knockout format.

That hasn’t always been the case, however, as the first two editions of the event had a very different structure to what fans are used to seeing today.

Stan Smith edged out Rod Laver to win the first-ever ATP Finals in a league format

The ATP Finals, then known as the Masters Grand Prix, held its inaugural event in Tokyo 55 years ago.

Similarly to how things work today, the top six players from the 1970 Grand Prix qualified for the tournament thanks to their performances throughout the year.

The tournament was tightly contested, with several of the sport’s top stars battling it out for supremacy in the Japanese capital.

In the biggest match of the event, Australia’s Rod Laver took on America’s Stan Smith, with a lot on the line.

Smith prevailed in a three-set thriller, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, a result that was crucial to his tournament hopes.

Unlike the current format, there were no groups in 1970; instead, the six players played one another once each, and the player with the most wins took home the title.

As Smith and Laver were level on wins, the American took home the title, having beaten his Australian rival earlier in the tournament.

Smith became the inaugural ATP Finals champion, an impressive achievement made all the more legendary when hearing the 78-year-old’s recollection of the event.

“During 1970, I got my draft notice to report on December 16th, and I got it on December 14th, which was my birthday,” said Smith.

“I was playing Ken Rosewall in the Masters [ATP Finals] in Tokyo, and so I played Rosewall, and then I played the next day in the final match against Arthur Ashe at about 7 PM.

“I got a flight at midnight from Tokyo to get to LA that went home on the 16th.

“I went to the draft office, I passed the physical and I was inducted.”

Smith served in the military for two years between 1970 and 1972 but was allowed to continue competing in tennis tournaments around the world, picking up two Major titles.

• 1971 US Open – Stan Smith beat Jan Kodes in F, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6
• 1972 Wimbledon – Stan Smith beat Ilie Nastase in F, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5

Did Stan Smith defend his ATP Finals title in 1971?

Traveling to Paris, France one year later, Smith looked in good shape to defend his title in a seven player field.

However, a new challenger proved dominant in 1971, winning all five of his matches en route to the first of his four ATP Finals titles.

Romania’s Ilie Nastase stormed to the title with five wins, including a three-set victory over runner-up Smith, 5-7, 7-6, 6-3.

The format changed to two groups of four in 1972, as Smith and Nastase contested the final, with the latter becoming the first player to defend the ATP Finals title.

53 years on, fans around the world continue to enjoy the year-end finals, with the event traveling to all corners of the globe.

• 1970 ATP Finals – Tokyo, Japan
• 1971 ATP Finals – Paris, France
• 1972 ATP Finals – Barcelona, Spain
• 1973 ATP Finals – Boston, USA
• 1974 ATP Finals – Melbourne, Australia
• 1975 ATP Finals – Stockholm, Sweden
• 1976 ATP Finals – Houston, USA
• 1977-1989 ATP Finals – New York City, USA
• 1990-1995 ATP Finals – Frankfurt, Germany
• 1996-1999 ATP Finals – Hanover, Germany
• 2000 ATP Finals – Lisbon, Portugal
• 2001 ATP Finals – Sydney, Australia
• 2002 ATP Finals – Shanghai, China
• 2003-2004 ATP Finals – Houston, USA
• 2005-2008 ATP Finals – Shanghai, China
• 2009-2020 ATP Finals – London, England
• 2021-2024 ATP Finals – Turin, Italy

Perhaps more history will be made when the 2025 ATP Finals begin in Turin, Italy, on November 9.