Wembley Championships

"Benson & Hedges Championships" redirects here. For the snooker tournament formerly named as Benson & Hedges Championship, see Masters Qualifying Event.

Wembley Championship
Defunct tennis tournament
Founded	1934
Abolished	1990
Editions	40
Location	London, England
Venue	Empire Pool
Surface	Wood (1934–1967) Carpet (1968–1990)

The Wembley Championships was a men's professional tennis tournament held from 1934–1990 with some periods of inactivity in between and is considered as a part of the professional grand slam from 1927–1967 until the advent of the open era. Ken Rosewall's and Rod Laver's six singles titles are the record for this event. The tournament only had a men's draw.

It was first held in 1934 at the Empire Pool at Wembley Park, Wembley, north-west London. In the mid-1960s it was considered as one of the three major professional tournaments, alongside the United States Professional Championship and French Professional Championship. In 1970 it was the penultimate event on the Grand Prix Tennis Tour.

Name

It was officially called the Wembley Professional Championships, although it was later named the London Indoor Professional Championships.

Past finals

Year	Champions	Runners-up	Score	Surface
Professional Era
1934	Ellsworth Vines	Hans Nüsslein	4–6, 7–5, 6–3, 8–6r1	Wood (i)
1935	Ellsworth Vines	Bill Tilden	6–1, 6–3, 5–7, 3–6, 6–3	Wood (i)
1936	Not held a
1937	Hans Nüsslein	Bill Tilden	6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 2–6, 6–2	Wood (i)
1938	Not held b
1939	Don Budge	Hans Nüsslein	13–11, 2–6, 6–4r2	Wood (i)
1940–1948	Not Held
1949	Jack Kramer	Bobby Riggs	2–6, 6–4, 6–3, 6–4	Wood (i)
1950	Pancho Gonzales	Welby Van Horn	6–3, 6–3, 6–2	Wood (i)
1951	Pancho Gonzales	Pancho Segura	6–2, 6–2, 2–6, 6–4	Wood (i)
1952	Pancho Gonzales	Jack Kramer	3–6, 3–6, 6–2, 6–4, 7–5	Wood (i)
1953	Frank Sedgman	Pancho Gonzales	6–1, 6–2, 6–2	Wood (i)
1954–1955	Not Held
1956	Pancho Gonzales	Frank Sedgman	4–6, 11–9, 11–9, 9–7	Wood (i)
1957	Ken Rosewall	Pancho Segura	1–6, 6–3, 6–4, 3–6, 6–4	Wood (i)
1958	Frank Sedgman	Tony Trabert	6–4, 6–3, 6–4	Wood (i)
1959	Mal Anderson	Pancho Segura	4–6, 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 8–6	Wood (i)
1960	Ken Rosewall	Pancho Segura	5–7, 8–6, 6–1, 6–3	Wood (i)
1961	Ken Rosewall	Lew Hoad	6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3	Wood (i)
1962	Ken Rosewall	Lew Hoad	6–4, 5–7, 15–13, 7–5	Wood (i)
1963	Ken Rosewall	Lew Hoad	6–4, 6–2, 4–6, 6–3	Wood (i)
1964	Rod Laver	Ken Rosewall	7–5, 4–6, 5–7, 8–6, 8–6	Wood (i)
1965	Rod Laver	Andrés Gimeno	6–2, 6–3, 6–4	Wood (i)
1966	Rod Laver	Ken Rosewall	6–2, 6–2, 6–3	Wood (i)
1967	Rod Laver	Ken Rosewall	2–6, 6–1, 1–6, 8–6, 6–2	Wood (i)
Open Era
1968	Ken Rosewall	John Newcombe	6–4, 4–6, 7–5, 6–4	Carpet (i)
1969	Rod Laver	Tony Roche	6–4, 6–1, 6–3	Carpet (i)
1970	Rod Laver	Cliff Richey	6–3, 6–4, 7–5	Carpet (i)
1971	Ilie Năstase	Rod Laver	3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4	Carpet (i)
1972–1975	Not Held
1976	Jimmy Connors	Roscoe Tanner	3–6, 7–6, 6–4	Carpet (i)
1977	Björn Borg	John Lloyd	6–4, 6–4, 6–3	Carpet (i)
1978	John McEnroe	Tim Gullikson	6–7, 6–4, 7–6, 6–2	Carpet (i)
1979	John McEnroe	Harold Solomon	6–3, 6–4, 7–5	Carpet (i)
1980	John McEnroe	Gene Mayer	6–4, 6–3, 6–3	Carpet (i)
1981	Jimmy Connors	John McEnroe	3–6, 2–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–2	Carpet (i)
1982	John McEnroe	Brian Gottfried	6–3, 6–2, 6–4	Carpet (i)
1983	John McEnroe	Jimmy Connors	7–5, 6–1, 6–4	Carpet (i)
1984	Ivan Lendl	Andrés Gómez	7–6, 6–2, 6–1	Carpet (i)
1985	Ivan Lendl	Boris Becker	6–7, 6–3, 4–6, 6–4, 6–4	Carpet (i)
1986	Yannick Noah	Jonas Svensson	6–2, 6–3, 6–7, 4–6, 7–5	Carpet (i)
1987	Ivan Lendl	Anders Järryd	6–3, 6–2, 7–5	Carpet (i)
1988	Jakob Hlasek	Jonas Svensson	6–7, 3–6, 6–4, 6–0, 7–5	Carpet (i)
1989	Michael Chang	Guy Forget	6–2, 6–1, 6–1	Carpet (i)
1990	Jakob Hlasek	Michael Chang	7–6, 6–3	Carpet (i)

Notes:

^a1936 tournament was cancelled due to Tilden and Vines playing in Japan. This was reported in London Daily Mail on August 24th 1936. There are sources that say Ellsworth Vines defeated Hans Nüsslein 6–4, 6–4, 6–2, but this must have been a different event.

^bNo reports of a 1938 tournament in British newspapers (the Wembley event was always reported in major British newspapers). Ray Bowers in an article on The Tennis Server website states there was no event held. There are sources that tell us Hans Nüsslein defeated Bill Tilden 7–5, 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, but this must have been held elsewhere.

^r1 For 1934, the tournament was played under Round Robin format with Vines 5-0 and Nüsslein 4-1 as final standings.

^r1 For 1939, the tournament was played under Round Robin format with Budge 3-0 and Nüsslein, Tilden and Vines as 1-2 as final standings.

See also

• Wembley Professional Championships Draws - Professional Era (1934–1967)