The Caribbean Circuit[1] also known as the Caribbean Sunshine Circuit[2] or Caribbean Tennis Tour[3] was a series tour of tennis tournaments and part of the larger ILTF Central American & Caribbean Circuit held in the Caribbean region usually over a period of two to three months between January and March each year. The circuit began in the mid-1920s reaching prominence during the 1950s and 1960s. It declined in importance in the early 1970s due to an increase in indoor tournaments being staged,.[4] and was eventually phased out.

History

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The Caribbean Circuit[5] which was a major sub-circuit of the worldwide ILTF Circuit that began in the early 1920s reaching prominence during the 1950s and 1960s. Officials from the participating regional and national tennis associations, together with tournament organisers usually met in the summer of the preceding year to agree a schedule of events, and draw up a list of players they wished to invite to participate in the circuit. This was normally announced in December each year. The circuit declined in importance in the early 1970s as a direct result in a rise in prestige of new indoor tennis tournaments at the time.[6]

Circuit tournaments

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Map of the Caribbean Region
No Tournament City Country
1. Altamira International Caracas[3] Venezuela
2. Austin Smith Championships Fort Lauderdale[3] United States
3. Bahamas International Championships Nassau Bahamas
4. Barbados International Bridgetown Barbados
5. Caribbean International Championships Montego Bay Jamaica
6. Caribe Hilton International San Juan[3] Puerto Rico
7. Caribe Hilton Championships San Juan[3] Puerto Rico
8. City of Barranquilla Championships Barranquilla[3] Colombia
9. City of Miami Championships Miami[3] United States
10. Colombian International Barranquilla[3] Colombia
11. Cuban International Championships Havana Cuba
12. Curaçao International Championships Willemstad Curaçao
13. Dixie International Championships Tampa[3] United States
14. Good Neighbor Championships Miami Beach[3] United States
15. Havana International Havana Cuba
16. Jacksonville Invitation Jacksonville United States
17. Jamaican International Championships Kingston Jamaica
18. Kingston International Championships Kingston Jamaica
19. Masters Invitational Tampa Bay area United States
20. Mexico International Championships Mexico City[3] Mexico
21. Miami Beach Invitation Miami[3] United States
22. Panama International Championships Panama City Panama
23. St. Andrew International Invitation Kingston Jamaica
24. St. Petersburg Masters Invitational St. Petersburg[3] United States
25. Trinidad International Port of Spain Trinidad and Tobago

Additional notes

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Not all tournaments listed were staged simultaneously a schedule of usually eight to twelve tournaments participated each year over a period of two months,[3] during the peak decades of the 1950s and 1960s though this varied.

References

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  1. ^ Brown, Gene (1979). The New York Times Encyclopedia of Sports: Tennis. New York: Arno Press. p. 139. ISBN 978-0-405-12626-0.
  2. ^ Djata, Sundiata (30 January 2006). Blacks at the Net: Black Achievement in the History of Tennis, Volume One. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-8156-0818-9.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Deford, Frank (10 May 1965). "NET GAINS ON THE COCONUT BEAT". Sports Illustrated Vault. New York City: Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  4. ^ Collins, Bud (28 May 1990). My Life with the Pros. New York: Penguin Publishing Group. p. 52. ISBN 978-0-525-48578-0.
  5. ^ Kirkpatrick, Curry (25 August 1969). "THE RUMANIANS ARE COMING!". Spors Illustrated Vault. New York City: Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  6. ^ Collins, Bud (1990)