The 1972 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix was a professional tennis circuit held that year and organized by the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF). It consisted of 33 Grand Prix tournaments in different categories including three of the four Grand Slam tournaments and was followed by a season-ending Masters tournament. The circuit ran from February through November.

The 1972 Grand Prix circuit ran in competition with the 1972 World Championship Tennis circuit and, to a lesser extent, with the smaller 1972 USLTA Indoor Circuit. Five American indoor tournament in February and March were als part of the USLTA Indoor Circuit. In July 1971 at its annual meeting, the ILTF voted to ban all WCT contract professionals from their tournaments and facilities from the beginning of 1972 onwards. This meant that leading WCT players such as Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Arthur Ashe and John Newcombe did not initially have permission to compete in the Grand Prix circuit and Newcombe could not defend his two consecutive Wimbledon titles of 1970 and 1971. In April 1972, however, an agreement was reached between the ILTF and WCT that divided the 1973 tour in a WCT circuit that ran from January through April and a Grand Prix circuit that was scheduled for the rest of the year. Under the agreement the players contracted by the WCT could play in the Grand Prix events as of September 1972. The deal was ratified at the annual ILTF meeting in July.

Schedule

Key Group AA tournaments Grand Prix Masters Group A tournaments Group B tournaments Group C tournaments Team events

February WeekTournamentChampionsRunners-upSemifinalistsQuarterfinalists 14 Feb The May Co. International Los Angeles, California, US Group C 32S/16D Andrés Gimeno 6–3, 2–6, 6–2 Pierre Barthès Jimmy Connors Thomaz Koch Vladimír Zedník Cliff Richey Pancho Gonzales Ilie Năstase Jim Osborne Jim McManus 6–2, 5–7, 6–4 Ilie Năstase Ion Țiriac 20 Feb U.S. National Indoor Championships Salisbury, Maryland, US Group B Hard – $50,000 – 64S/32D Stan Smith 5–7, 6–2, 6–3, 6–4 Ilie Năstase Haroon Rahim Gerald Battrick Jaime Fillol Clark Graebner Manuel Orantes Tom Gorman Manuel Orantes Andrés Gimeno 6–4, 6–3 Juan Gisbert Vladimír Zedník 28 Feb Clean Air ClassicNew York, US Group C 64S Stan Smith 4–6, 7–5, 6–4, 6–1 Juan Gisbert Cliff Richey Ilie Năstase Alejandro Olmedo Ove Nils Bengtson Andrés Gimeno Jimmy Connors

March WeekTournamentChampionsRunners-upSemifinalistsQuarterfinalists 5 Mar National Indoor ChampionshipsHampton, Virginia, US Group C Hard (i) – 32S/16D Singles – Doubles Stan Smith 6–3, 6–2, 6–7, 6–4 Ilie Năstase Andrés Gimeno Cliff Richey Juan Gisbert Jimmy Connors Georges Goven Ian Crookenden Ion Țiriac Ilie Năstase 7–5, 7–5 Andrés Gimeno Manuel Orantes 12 Mar Equity Funding InternationalWashington, D.C., US Group C Carpet (i) – $25,000 – 32S/16D Stan Smith 6–3, 6–2, 6–7, 6–4 Jimmy Connors Tom Gorman Manuel Orantes Jim Osborne Cliff Richey Ilie Năstase Pierre Barthès Cliff Richey Tom Edlefsen 6–4, 6–3 Clark Graebner Thomaz Koch 27 Mar Monte Carlo Open Championships Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France Group C Clay – $20,000 – 32S/32D Ilie Năstase 6–1, 6–0, 6–3 František Pála Boro Jovanović Jiří Hřebec Bernard Mignot Ion Țiriac Szabolcs Baranyi Péter Szőke Patrice Beust Daniel Contet 3–6, 6–1, 12–10, 6–2 Jiří Hřebec František Pála

April WeekTournamentChampionsRunners-upSemifinalistsQuarterfinalists 8 Apr South African Open * Johannesburg, South Africa Group A Hard – 32S/16D Cliff Richey 6–4, 7–5, 3–6, 6–4 Manuel Orantes Andrés Gimeno Jaime Fillol Martin Mulligan Bob Hewitt Andrew Pattison Pat Cramer Bob Hewitt Frew McMillan 6–2, 6–2, 6–4 Georges Goven Ray Moore 16 Apr Melia Trophy InternationalMadrid, Spain Group B Clay – 32S/32D Ilie Năstase 6–0, 6–0, 6–1 František Pála Jan Kodeš Patrick Proisy Szabolcs Baranyi Andrés Gimeno Manuel Orantes Adriano Panatta Stan Smith Ilie Năstase 6–3, 6–4, 6–4 Andrés Gimeno Manuel Orantes 23 Apr Nice International ChampionshipsNice, France Group D Clay – $30,000 – 48S/8D Ilie Năstase 6–0, 6–4, 6–3 Jan Kodeš Stan Smith Boro Jovanović Barry Phillips-Moore Dick Crealy Pierre Barthès Gerald Battrick Stan Smith Jan Kodeš 6–3, 3–6, 7–5 Frew McMillan Ilie Năstase 24 Apr Italian Open Rome, Italy * Group A Clay – $56,000 – 64S/32D Manuel Orantes 4–6, 6–1, 7–5, 6–2 Jan Kodeš Ilie Năstase Barry Phillips-Moore Andrew Pattison Paolo Bertolucci Alex Metreveli Jean-Loup Rouyer Ion Țiriac Ilie Năstase 3–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–3, 5–3 ret. Frew McMillan Lew Hoad

May WeekTournamentChampionsRunners-upSemifinalistsQuarterfinalists 13 May British Hard Court Championships Bournemouth, England * Group C Clay – 32S/16D Bob Hewitt 6–2, 6–4, 6–3 Pierre Barthès Ilie Năstase Stan Smith Ion Țiriac Jimmy Connors Pat Cramer Jürgen Fassbender Frew McMillan Bob Hewitt 7–5, 6–2 Ilie Năstase Ion Țiriac 14 May Belgian Open Championships Brussels, Belgium Group C Clay – $25,000 – 32S/16D Manuel Orantes 6–4, 6–1, 2–6, 7–5 Andrés Gimeno Harold Solomon Barry Phillips-Moore Patrick Hombergen Juan Gisbert Harald Elschenbroich Vladimír Zedník Manuel Orantes Juan Gisbert 9–7, 6–3 Patricio Cornejo Jaime Fillol 22 May French Open * Paris, France Grand Slam Group AA Clay Andrés Gimeno 4–6, 6–3, 6–1, 6–1 Patrick Proisy Alex Metreveli Manuel Orantes Adriano Panatta Stan Smith Harold Solomon Jan Kodeš Frew McMillan Bob Hewitt 6–3, 8–6, 3–6, 6–1 Patricio Cornejo Jaime Fillol Evonne Goolagong Kim Warwick 6–2, 6–4 Françoise Dürr Jean-Claude Barclay

June WeekTournamentChampionsRunners-upSemifinalistsQuarterfinalists 5 Jun German Open Championships Hamburg, West Germany * Group B Clay – 32S/32D Manuel Orantes 6–3, 9–8, 6–0 Adriano Panatta Jan Kodeš Bob Hewitt Ion Țiriac Jimmy Connors Pat Cramer Jürgen Fassbender Ilie Năstase Jan Kodeš 4–6, 6–0, 3–6, 6–2, 6–2 Bob Hewitt Ion Țiriac 17 Jun Bristol Open Bristol, England * Group C Grass – 32S/32D Bob Hewitt 6–4, 6–3 Alejandro Olmedo François Jauffret Clark Graebner John De Mendoza Colin Dibley John Paish Andrew Pattison Frew McMillan Bob Hewitt 6–3, 6–2 Clark Graebner Lew Hoad 26 Jun Wimbledon * London, England Grand Slam Group AA Grass Stan Smith 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 4–6, 7–5 Ilie Năstase Jan Kodeš Manuel Orantes Alex Metreveli Onny Parun Colin Dibley Jimmy Connors Bob Hewitt Frew McMillan 6–2, 6–2, 9–7 Stan Smith Erik van Dillen Rosemary Casals Ilie Năstase 6–4, 6–4 Evonne Goolagong Kim Warwick

July WeekTournamentChampionsRunners-upSemifinalistsQuarterfinalists 16 Jul Swedish Open Båstad, Sweden Group C Clay – 32S/16D Manuel Orantes 6–4, 6–3, 6–1 Ilie Năstase Juan Gisbert Balázs Taróczy Björn Borg Colin Dibley Szabolcs Baranyi Jose Mandarino Manuel Orantes Juan Gisbert 6–3, 7–6 Neale Fraser Ilie Năstase Swiss Open Championships Gstaad, Switzerland Group C Clay – $25,000 – 32S/16D Andrés Gimeno 7–5, 9–8, 6–4 Adriano Panatta Ion Țiriac Barry Phillips-Moore Roscoe Tanner Jean-Loup Rouyer Patrick Hombergen Sandy Mayer Andrés Gimeno Antonio Muñoz 9–8, 4–6, 6–1, 7–5 Adriano Panatta Ion Țiriac 22 Jul Austrian Open Kitzbühel, Austria Group D Clay – 32S/32D Colin Dibley 6–1, 6–3, 6–4 Dick Crealy Jose Mandarino Onny Parun Harald Elschenbroich Nicholas Kalogeropoulos Barry Phillips-Moore François Jauffret Hans-Jürgen Pohmann Jürgen Fassbender 7–6, 6–4, 6–4 Mal Anderson Geoff Masters 23 Jul Buckeye ClassicColumbus, Ohio, US Group D Hard – $25,000 – 32S/16D Singles – Doubles Jimmy Connors 7–5, 6–3, 7–5 Andrew Pattison Dick Stockton Bob Hewitt Charles Owens Steve Faulk Pancho Gonzales Jim McManus Pancho Gonzales Jimmy Connors 6–3, 7–5 Robert McKinley Dick Stockton 30 Jul Tanglewood International Tennis ClassicClemmons, North Carolina, US Group D Clay – $25,000 – 32S/16D Bob Hewitt 3–6, 6–3, 6–1 Andrew Pattison Dick Stockton Steve Faulk Butch Seewagen Onny Parun Ian Fletcher Jeff Austin Andrew Pattison Bob Hewitt 6–4, 6–4 Jim McManus Jim Osborne 31 Jul Cincinnati Open Cincinnati, Ohio, US * Group C Clay – $42,500 – 64S/32D Jimmy Connors 6–3, 6–3 Guillermo Vilas Jaime Pinto-Bravo Frew McMillan Barry Phillips-Moore Andrew Pattison Jun Kamiwazumi Sandy Mayer Frew McMillan Bob Hewitt 7–6, 6–4 Paul Gerken Humphrey Hose

August WeekTournamentChampionsRunners-upSemifinalistsQuarterfinalists 7 Aug U.S. Clay Court Championships Indianapolis, Indiana, US * Group A Clay – $60,000 – 64S/32D Bob Hewitt 7–6, 6–1, 6–2 Jimmy Connors Toshiro Sakai Frew McMillan Patrice Dominguez Colin Dibley Jan Kodeš Paul Gerken Frew McMillan Bob Hewitt 6–2, 6–3 Patricio Cornejo Jaime Fillol 14 Aug Rothmans Canadian Open Championships Toronto, Ontario, Canada * Group A Clay – $70,000 – 128S/64D Ilie Năstase 6–4, 6–3 Andrew Pattison Jaime Fillol Patrick Proisy Jairo Velasco Bob Hewitt Guillermo Vilas Adriano Panatta Ion Țiriac Ilie Năstase 7–6, 6–3 Jan Kodeš Jan Kukal 28 Aug US Open Forest Hills, New York, US * Grand Slam Group AA Singles – Doubles – Mixed doubles Ilie Năstase 3–6, 6–3, 6–7, 6–4, 6–3 Arthur Ashe Cliff Richey Tom Gorman Stan Smith Frew McMillan Fred Stolle Roscoe Tanner Cliff Drysdale Roger Taylor 6–4, 7–6, 6–3 Owen Davidson John Newcombe Margaret Court Marty Riessen 6–3, 7–5 Rosemary Casals Ilie Năstase

September WeekTournamentChampionsRunners-upSemifinalistsQuarterfinalists 17 Sep Central California ChampionshipsSacramento, California, US Group C Hard – $25,000 – 32S/16D Stan Smith 6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–4 Colin Dibley Andrew Pattison Raymond Moore Erik van Dillen Rick Fisher Tom Edlefsen Alejandro Olmedo Stan Smith Erik van Dillen 4–6, 6–2, 6–4 Patrice Dominguez Patrick Proisy Rainier International Tennis ClassicSeattle, Washington, US Group C Hard – $25,000 – 32S/8D Ilie Năstase 6–4, 3–6, 6–3 Tom Gorman Bob Hewitt Jaime Fillol Onny Parun Ian Fletcher Ross Case Sherwood Stewart Geoff Masters Ross Case 4–6, 7–6, 6–4 Jean-Baptiste Chanfreau Wanaro N'Godrella 25 Sep Golden Gate Pacific Coast Classic Albany, California, US Group C Carpet – $34,000 – 64S/32D Jimmy Connors 6–2, 7–6(5–3) Roscoe Tanner Andrew Pattison Bob Hewitt Frew McMillan Jaime Fillol Pierre Barthès Colin Dibley Frew McMillan Bob Hewitt 6–2, 2–6, 6–2 Björn Borg Ove Nils Bengtson Pacific Southwest Open Los Angeles, California, US Group A Hard – $60,000 – 64S/64D Singles – Doubles Stan Smith 6–4, 6–4 Roscoe Tanner Tom Okker Tom Gorman Manuel Orantes Ken Rosewall Raymond Moore Bob Carmichael Pancho Gonzales Jimmy Connors 6–3, 7–6 Ismail El Shafei Brian Fairlie

October WeekTournamentChampionsRunners-upSemifinalistsQuarterfinalists 23 Oct Trofeo Conde de Godó Barcelona, Spain Group A Clay – $66,250 – 32S/32D Jan Kodeš 6–3, 6–2, 6–3 Manuel Orantes Stan Smith Ilie Năstase Andrew Pattison Colin Dibley Andrés Gimeno Tom Gorman Manuel Orantes Juan Gisbert 6–3, 3–6, 6–4 Frew McMillan Ilie Năstase 30 Oct Jean Becker Open Paris, France Group B Hard – $50,000 – 32S/32D Singles – Doubles Stan Smith 6–2, 6–2, 7–5 Andrés Gimeno Jan Kodeš Tom Gorman Patrice Dominguez Raymond Moore Jimmy Connors Ilie Năstase François Jauffret Pierre Barthès 6–3, 6–2 Andrés Gimeno Juan Gisbert

November WeekTournamentChampionsRunners-upSemifinalistsQuarterfinalists 12 Nov Stockholm Open Stockholm, Sweden Group A Hard – $63,000 – 64S/32D Singles – Doubles Stan Smith 6–4, 6–3 Tom Okker Marty Riessen Ilie Năstase Nikola Pilić Roger Taylor Andrew Pattison Cliff Drysdale Marty Riessen Tom Okker 7–5, 7–6 Colin Dibley Roy Emerson 18 Nov Dewar Cup Nottingham/London, England Carpet – 32S/16D Ilie Năstase 6–4, 6–3 Tom Gorman Jimmy Connors Onny Parun Patrick Proisy Frew McMillan Barry Phillips-Moore Andrew Pattison 28 Nov Masters Barcelona, Spain Hard (i) – $55,000 – 8S Ilie Năstase 6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 2–6, 6–3 Stan Smith

* Tournaments combined with a women's Grand Prix tour event.

Points distribution CategoryWFSFQFR16R32R64Group AA tournaments 100755025126–Group A tournaments 755237189––Group B tournaments 503625186––Group C tournaments 30201053––Group D tournaments 201264––– No points were awarded for first round losers

Standings