Caribbean Circuit

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

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

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

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

^ Brown, Gene (1979). The New York Times Encyclopedia of Sports: Tennis. New York: Arno Press. p. 139. ISBN 978-0-405-12626-0.
^ 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.
^ ^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.
^ Collins, Bud (28 May 1990). My Life with the Pros. New York: Penguin Publishing Group. p. 52. ISBN 978-0-525-48578-0.
^ Kirkpatrick, Curry (25 August 1969). "THE RUMANIANS ARE COMING!". Spors Illustrated Vault. New York City: Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
^ Collins, Bud (1990)

[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.

[SI10MAY1965-3] ^ ^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)

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