Jimmy Connors finished the year as
ATP world No. 1 for the first time in his career. Connors won seven titles during the season, including three
majors at the
Australian Open,
Wimbledon Championships, and the
US Open (though the Australian Open was a Group B event rather than a Triple Crown event like the other majors).
The Grand Prix circuit was scheduled from May until December so that it would not to conflict with the competing
World Championship Tennis circuit which ran from January until early May.
The tournaments of the Grand Prix circuit were divided into five groups. Group TC consisted of the Triple Crown events—the French Open, the Wimbledon Championships, and the US Open—while the other tournaments were divided into four other groups—AA, A, B, and C—by prize money and draw size. Group AA tournaments had a minimum prize money of $100,000 while the minimum for Group A, B and C tournaments was $75,000, $50,000 and $25,000 respectively. Points were allocated based on these groups and the finishing position of a player in a tournament. No points were awarded to first-round losers, and ties were settled by the number of tournaments played. Grand Prix points were also allocated to doubles results for the first time this year and are listed in brackets in the points allocation below:
Group TC
Champion: 120 (24)
Runner-up: 90 (18)
Semifinalist: 60 (12)
Quarterfinalist: 30 (6)
Fourth Round: 15 (3)
Third Round: 7 (1)
Second Round: 3
Group AA
Champion: 80 (16)
Runner-up: 60 (12)
Semifinalist: 40 (8)
Quarterfinalist: 20 (4)
9th – 16th: 10 (2)
17th – 32nd: 5
Group A
Champion: 60 (12)
Runner-up: 45 (9)
Semifinalist: 30 (6)
Quarterfinalist: 15 (3)
9th – 16th: 7 (1)
17th – 32nd: 3
Group B
Champion: 40 (8)
Runner-up: 30 (6)
Semifinalist: 20 (4)
5th – 8th: 10 (2)
9th – 16th: 5
Group C
Champion: 20 (4)
Runner-up: 15 (3)
Semifinalist: 10 (2)
5th – 8th: 5 (1)
9th – 16th: 3
In addition a player could earn ranking points for participating in the
Davis Cup team competition if the matches coincided with a Grand Prix tournament.
These are the
ATP rankings of the top twenty singles players at the end of the 1973 season [3] and at the end of the 1974 season,[4] with numbers of ranking points, points averages, numbers of tournaments played, year-end rankings in 1974, highest and lowest positions during the season and number of spots gained or lost from the first rankings to the year-end rankings.
^South Africa won by default after the Indian Government refused to let their Davis Cup team play; this was in protest against the
racial policies of the South African Government.
Collins, Bud (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book (2nd ed.). New York: New Chapter Press.
ISBN978-0-942257-70-0.
Jimmy Connors finished the year as
ATP world No. 1 for the first time in his career. Connors won seven titles during the season, including three
majors at the
Australian Open,
Wimbledon Championships, and the
US Open (though the Australian Open was a Group B event rather than a Triple Crown event like the other majors).
The Grand Prix circuit was scheduled from May until December so that it would not to conflict with the competing
World Championship Tennis circuit which ran from January until early May.
The tournaments of the Grand Prix circuit were divided into five groups. Group TC consisted of the Triple Crown events—the French Open, the Wimbledon Championships, and the US Open—while the other tournaments were divided into four other groups—AA, A, B, and C—by prize money and draw size. Group AA tournaments had a minimum prize money of $100,000 while the minimum for Group A, B and C tournaments was $75,000, $50,000 and $25,000 respectively. Points were allocated based on these groups and the finishing position of a player in a tournament. No points were awarded to first-round losers, and ties were settled by the number of tournaments played. Grand Prix points were also allocated to doubles results for the first time this year and are listed in brackets in the points allocation below:
Group TC
Champion: 120 (24)
Runner-up: 90 (18)
Semifinalist: 60 (12)
Quarterfinalist: 30 (6)
Fourth Round: 15 (3)
Third Round: 7 (1)
Second Round: 3
Group AA
Champion: 80 (16)
Runner-up: 60 (12)
Semifinalist: 40 (8)
Quarterfinalist: 20 (4)
9th – 16th: 10 (2)
17th – 32nd: 5
Group A
Champion: 60 (12)
Runner-up: 45 (9)
Semifinalist: 30 (6)
Quarterfinalist: 15 (3)
9th – 16th: 7 (1)
17th – 32nd: 3
Group B
Champion: 40 (8)
Runner-up: 30 (6)
Semifinalist: 20 (4)
5th – 8th: 10 (2)
9th – 16th: 5
Group C
Champion: 20 (4)
Runner-up: 15 (3)
Semifinalist: 10 (2)
5th – 8th: 5 (1)
9th – 16th: 3
In addition a player could earn ranking points for participating in the
Davis Cup team competition if the matches coincided with a Grand Prix tournament.
These are the
ATP rankings of the top twenty singles players at the end of the 1973 season [3] and at the end of the 1974 season,[4] with numbers of ranking points, points averages, numbers of tournaments played, year-end rankings in 1974, highest and lowest positions during the season and number of spots gained or lost from the first rankings to the year-end rankings.
^South Africa won by default after the Indian Government refused to let their Davis Cup team play; this was in protest against the
racial policies of the South African Government.
Collins, Bud (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book (2nd ed.). New York: New Chapter Press.
ISBN978-0-942257-70-0.