Vilas Asks ATP To Reconsider Giving Him No. 1 Ranking For 1977

Former US Open champion Guillermo Vilas has asked the ATP to review his historical ranking and according to AFP the organization says that it will not recognize him for as having legitimately held the No. 1 ranking in 1977.

 

“Although the ranking system was developed over the years, the ATP has no plans to retrospectively recalculate rankings in any form,” an ATP spokesman told the organization.

 

Vilas was world No. 1 in 1977 season, the same year that he won 16 tournaments, including Roland Garros and the US Open.

 

“What I asked the ATP is to do look at the ranking back then using the current system but they said it would bring too many problems,” he said.

 

The ATP will hold a big bash in New York on Friday night to celebrate 40 years of the No. 1 ranking at the Waldorf Astoria and the issue is sure to be a topic.

 

Two men who know Vilas well, his former manager and coach Ion Tiriac who now owns the Madrid tournament, as well as former No 1 Mats Wilander, an influential commentator for Eurosport, weighed in.

 

“The ATP should give at least a certificate of No. 1,” said Tiriac. “The most unfair thing in tennis there is the ranking of ’77, which was so badly done … The guy won all year round, everything. Two Grand Slams! They gave the No. 1 to Connors. Nothing is more unjust in this world.”

 

Wilander added: “He should have been No. 1 in the world at some point in his career. The message that I can send Guillermo is that I’m with him on this.”

 

Connors did not win a major in 1977, but did reach the finals of Wimbledon and the US Open, where he lost to Vilas on clay.

 

Connors was also eighth in the Grand Prix point’s race. During that year the sport was very fragmented. Not only were the Grand Prix and World Championship Tennis (WCT) different mini-circuits, but some top player also played World TeamTennis, which got them booted from Roland Garros – such as Connors.

 

The 1977 rankings were based on an average of results, and fewer results than count now. AFP states that under today’s “best-18” system Vilas would have been No. 1 as Connors’s average was only based on 15 events.

 

Broadcaster and tennis historian John Barrett had this to say:

 

“In 1977, Connors earned 897 points and achieved an average of 59.8 in 15 tournaments. Vilas played 28 tournaments and won many, although several of them were minor events, with few rewards and points. It added to 1610 points, which divided by 28 gave an average of 57.5.”

 

Wilander did say that Vilas should stop worrying about it

 

“Who cares if he was one or two? Are we No. 1 because a computer says it? Was Marcelo Rios a true No. 1? Caroline Wozniacki?? Dinara Safina? What a great honor it is to win a Grand Slam, and William won four. The No. 1 is not an honor. Guillermo should stop worrying about that issue.”

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