1983 Virginia Slims World Championship Series

Tour changes

Avon, who had been the sponsors of the January to March U.S. winter circuit of the WTA Tour since 1978, announced in 1982 that they would be trimming back their sponsorship of the tour. Toyota, who sponsored the international tour for the remaining nine months of the season, also withdrew their support. The 1983 season saw Virginia Slims returning to sponsor a unified worldwide tour after an absence of four years. The company sponsored events between 1970 and 1978 but withdrew their support following disagreements with the organisers of the WTA Tour, the Women's Tennis Association. However the company decided to associate themselves with the women's tennis circuit again in 1983. The tour was therefore known as the Virginia Slims World Championship Series, with 18 events including the US Open held in the United States and a further 12 events in six other countries incorporated under the Virginia Slims brand in a merged season.

Season summary

Singles

World number-one singles player Martina Navratilova, who had won 90 out of 93 matches the previous year, began the 1983 season in great form, winning successive titles in Washington and Houston, defeating Sylvia Hanika in the final on both occasions. The third best player in the world, Andrea Jaeger, won the tournament at Marco Island in Florida; Chris Evert-Lloyd, the world number two, took the title at Palm Beach, also in Florida.

Schedule

The table below shows the 1983 Virginia Slims World Championship Series schedule.

;Key

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

January 1984

February 1984

Rankings

Singles

Below are the 1983 WTA year-end rankings (December 5, 1983) in singles competition:

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Points distribution

Virginia Slims ranking points distribution.

Statistical information

Titles won by player

These tables present the number of singles (S), doubles (D), and mixed doubles (X) titles won by each player and each nation during the season, within all the tournament categories of the 1983 Virginia Slims World Championship Series: the Grand Slam tournaments, the Year-end championships and regular events. The players/nations are sorted by:

1. total number of titles (a doubles title won by two players representing the same nation counts as only one win for the nation);
2. highest amount of highest category tournaments (for example, having a single Grand Slam gives preference over any kind of combination without a Grand Slam title);
3. a singles doubles mixed doubles hierarchy;
4. alphabetical order (by family names for players).

Titles won by nation

The following players won their first title in singles (S), doubles (D) or mixed doubles (X):

• USA Lori McNeil – Bakersfield (D)
• USA Bonnie Gadusek – Deerfield Beach (D)
• USA Sandy Collins – Kansas (D)
• USA Kyle Copeland – Bakersfield (D)
• NZL Chris O'Neil – Kitzbühel (D)
• SUI Christiane Jolissaint – Lugano (D)
• FRA Catherine Tanvier – Filderstadt (S)
• FRA Pascale Paradis – Kitzbühel (S)
• USA Kim Shaefer – Hartford (S)
• USA Ginny Purdy – Pittsburgh (S)
• JPN Etsuko Inoue – Japan Open (S)
• RSA Jennifer Mundel-Reinbold – Bakersfield (S)
• RSA Rosalyn Fairbank – Richmond (S)
• GBR Jo Durie – Mahwah (S)
• GBR Anne Hobbs – Indianapolis (S)
• AUS Elizabeth Sayers – Ridgewood (D), US Open (X)
• RSA Yvonne Vermaak – Palm Springs (S)
• USA Barbara Jordan – French Open (X)
• HUN Andrea Temesvári – Perugia (S)
• USA Kathleen Horvath – Nashville (S)
• USA Alycia Moulton – Ridgewood (S)
• FRG Bettina Bunge – Hamburg (D)
• AUS Pam Whytcross – Kitzbühel (D)
• AUS Chris O'Neil – Borden Classic (D) The following players mounted a successful title defence in singles (S), doubles (D) or mixed doubles (X):
• USA Martina Navratilova – Washington (S), Chicago (S,D), Dallas (S,D), New York Masters (D), Hilton Head (S,D), Orlando (S), Eastbourne (S,D), Wimbledon (S, D), Montreal (S), Stuttgart (S, D), Australian Open (D)
• USA Chris Evert-Lloyd – Palm Beach (S), Amelia Island (S), Deerfield Beach (S)
• USA Billie Jean King (S)
• USA Lisa Bonder – Borden Classic (S)
• USA Pam Shriver – Houston (D), Chicago (D), Dallas (D), New York Masters (D), Eastbourne (D), Wimbledon (D), Brighton (D), Australian Open (D)
• USA Sharon Walsh – New Jersey (D)
• USA Candy Reynolds – Richmond (D)

Retirements

The following are notable players who announced their retirement from women's tennis in 1983.

• USA Anne Smith
• USA Billie Jean King
• AUS Evonne Goolagong
• RSA Tanya Harford

Notes

• The tournament was halted by rain delays on 23 occasions over the first five days. The tournament was eventually cancelled after players rejected the officials attempts to move the tournament indoors.
• Martina Navratilova only lost one match during the whole year, against Kathleen Horvath in the fourth round of the French Open.

References

References

1. (January 2, 1983). "Tourney has Premier Field". [[Spartanburg Herald-Journal.
2. (April 27, 1982). "Virginia Slims back in tennis".
3. (May 29, 1983). "Navratilova loses; McEnroe fined $3000". [[St. Petersburg Times]].
4. (March 29, 1982). "Avon expected to trim sponsorship of women's tennis". [[Ocala Star Banner]].
5. (March 30, 1982). "It's Official: Avon, Women's Tour Part Ways". [[St. Petersburg Times]].
6. (April 27, 1982). "WTA Tour Gets New Format, Old Backer". The Palm Beach Post.
7. (June 2023). "Lugano 1983". [[International Tennis Federation]].
8. (5 December 1983). "Womens International Computer Rankings". [[Women's Tennis Association]] (WTA).
9. John Dolan. (2011). "Women's Tennis 1968–84: the Ultimate Guide". Remous.
10. (June 7, 1983). "Leslie Allen withdraws, Anne Smith retires – on same day". St. Petersburg Times.
11. (May 14, 1953). "Lloyd turns back Jaeger in finals". [[Lakeland Ledger]].
12. (May 17, 1983). "Top seed may withdraw from Italian tournament". [[Ottawa Citizen]].