| U.S. Pro Tennis Championships | |
|---|---|
| Defunct tennis tournament | |
| Tour | Pro tours (1927–69) Grand Prix Circuit (1970–89) ATP World Tour (1997–99) |
| Founded | 1927 |
| Abolished | 1999 |
| Location | United States |
| Venue | Multiple |
| Surface | Grass, Clay, Wood, Hard |
The U.S. Pro Tennis Championships (for a period from 1951 to 1962 billed as the Cleveland International Pro or Cleveland World Pro Tennis Championships[1]) was the oldest professional tennis tournament played until its final year of 1999 and is considered to have been a professional major from 1927–1967 until the advent of Open Era. In 1953, 1955, 1956, and 1960, the Cleveland World Pro had a women's draw, with Pauline Betz winning the first three of these, and defeating the reigning U.S. women's champion Doris Hart in the 1956 final.[2] Althea Gibson defeated Pauline Betz in the 1960 women's final.[3]