The South African Open – formerly known as the South African Championships, and for sponsorship reasons the Altech NCR South African Open and the Panasonic South African Open – is a defunct Grand Prix Tennis Tour, World Championship Series, ATP Tour and Virginia Slims Circuit affiliated tennis tournament played from 1891 to 1995 in South Africa. It was part of the pre-open era international seasonal tours from 1891 to 1967 from 1968 to 1971, part of the open era independent events tour from 1972, when it became part the men's Grand Prix Tour until 1989. The women's side of the competition was only briefly part of Virginia Slims tour (1970–74) before it returned to the independent circuit.

The men's event joined the ATP Tour in 1990. It was mainly held in Johannesburg in South Africa, but played in other locations such as Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London, Bloemfontein, Kimberly and Pretoria. The tournament was played on outdoor hard courts it ran for a period of 105 years until 1995.

History The first South African Championships were first played in 1891 until 1967 and took place in Port Elizabeth. The tournament was held at and organized by the Port Elizabeth Lawn Tennis Club. This inaugural edition consisted of a men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles and mixed doubles event. The tournament was not played from 1900 to 1902 due to the Boer War. After the formation of the South African Lawn Tennis Union in 1903 the location of the tournament circulated between Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London, Bloemfontein, Kimberly and Pretoria. In 1905 the women's doubles competition was added. The tournament was not held from 1915 to 1919 due to World War I, and from 1941 to 1945 due to World War II. The first men's singles winner was Lionel Richardson from Bloemfontein. In 1931 Ellis Park in Johannesburg became the permanent venue for the championships. In 1968 the event went open and was from then on known as the South African Open Sets were played on advantage until 1971; Lingering death tiebreaks at six games all were subsequently adopted. Finals were the best-of-five-sets until the tournament's suspension in 1990; upon its return in 1992 finals were reduced to the best-of-three-sets the men's tournament was suspended again from 1996 until 2006. The women's tournament was also stopped in 1982,1985 and 1988 it was played in 1990 but did not continue after that date.

ATP Tour tennis returned to South Africa in 2009 under the banner of the SA Tennis Open. The history of this event, however, is not part of the history of the Open.2009 Official Guide to Professional Tennis, page 48, compiled by the ATP World Tour. The SA Tennis Open, which was part of the 250 series of events, was discontinued in 2011.

The most successful male player at the South African Championships – played from 1891 to 1967 during the Amateur Era – was Eric Sturgess, who won eleven titles between 1939 and 1957 and lost a further final in 1947 to Eustace Fannin. He also holds the overall record for the most consecutive titles won – seven between 1948 and 1954. Five players share the record for the most male wins at the tournament in the Open Era – Rod Laver (1969, 1970), Jimmy Connors (1973, 1974), Harold Solomon (1975, 1976), Vitas Gerulaitis (1981, 1982) and Aaron Krickstein (1992, 1993).

The most successful female player at the South African Championships – played from 1891 to 1967 during the Amateur Era – was Mrs H.A. Kirby, who won six titles between 1904 and 1912. She also shares the overall record for the most consecutive titles won with Miss H. Grant. Both players won four consecutive titles – Grant won the first four South African titles from 1891 to 1894 and Mrs Kirby won four titles between 1904 and 1907. Margaret Court and Brigitte Cuypers share the record for the most wins at the tournament in the Open Era. Court won three titles in 1968, 1970 and 1971 and Cuypers won in 1976, 1978 and 1979.

The following comprises the full list of South African Open men's singles champions. and South African Open women's singles champions.

Finals NB: The following tables below comprise full lists of champions from 1891 until 1995

Men's singles

Year Champion Runner-up Score 1891 Lionel Richardson Lyndhurst Winslow 6–2, 10–8, 6–2 1892 Lionel Richardson(2) R. Davis Unavailable 1893 Walter T. Edmonds Lionel Richardson 6–3, 6–3, 6–4 1894 Lennox L. Giddy Walter T. Edmonds 6–1, 6–3, 6–0 1895 Lennox L. Giddy Stanley Bayly 6–4, 6–3, 6–2 1896 Lennox L. Giddy H.R. Eaton Unavailable 1897 Lennox L. Giddy William C. Stevens 8–10, 12–10, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2 1898 Lennox L. Giddy George C. Collins Unavailable 1899 Leonard G. Heard Lennox L. Giddy 6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 6–1 1900–1902 Not held due to Second Boer War 1903 R.W.G. Clarke H.M Steele 6–4, 6–0, 6–3 1904 Percy Sherwell R.W.G. Clarke 6–3, 6–2, 6–1 1905 Harold Kitson A.J. Rowan 6–1, 2–6, 6–3, 8–6 1906 John R. Richardson Cecil E. Howard Tripp 6–4, 7–5, 6–2 1907 A.J. Rowan Cecil E. Howard Tripp 7–5, 5–7, 1–6, 6–4, 6–3 1908 Harold Kitson Victor Gauntlett 6–2, 5–7, 6–2, 7–9, 6–2 1909 Reginald Doherty Lionel Escombe 6–3, 6–1, 6–1 1910 Anthony Wilding Harold Kitson 6–0, 6–3, 6–4 1911 Harold Kitson Father Kelly 6–4, 6–3, 6–2 1912 George Dodd R.F. Le Sueur 6–1, 4–6, 6–3, 5–7, 6–0 1913 Harold Kitson Harold I. Aitken 6–1, 6–4, 6–3 1914 Charles Winslow George Dodd 4–6, 7–9, 6–2, 6–3, 6–3 1915–1919 Not held (WW1) 1920 Brian Norton Louis Raymond 1–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–3 1921 Louis Raymond Marchant Davies 6–3, 6–0, 6–1 1922 Louis Raymond George Dodd 6–3, 7–5, 6–2 1923 Louis Raymond Jack Condon 6–3, 7–5, 4–6, 6–2 1924 Louis Raymond George Dodd 6–4, 6–0, 3–6, 6–3 1925 Ivie Richardson Charles Winslow 7–5, 7–5, 2–6, 4–6, 6–4 1926 Jack Condon Cecil Blackbeard 6–0, 6–3, 6–2 1927 J.C. Guy Eaglestone C.H. Robbs 8–6, 3–6, 6–2, 6–4 1928 J.C. Guy Eaglestone George Dodd 6–4, 6–1, 6–4 1929 Colin Robbins George Dodd 6–1, 6–0, 6–3 1930 Louis Raymond Colin Robbins 6–2, 5–7, 6–3, 6–4 1931 Louis Raymond Robert H. M. Bertram 6–3, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2 1932 Robert H. M. Bertram Colin Robbins 2–6, 9–7, 9–7, 6–1 1933 Colin Robbins Vernon Kirby 6–1, 1–6, 4–6, 9–7, 6–4 1934 Norman Farquharson Roy Malcolm 4–6, 6–2, 6–3, 14–12 1935 Norman Farquharson Vernon Kirby 6–0, 6–4, 6–1 1936 Norman Farquharson Robert H. M. Bertram 6–4, 6–4, 1–6, 6–2 1937 Josip Palada Vernon Kirby 6–2, 0–6, 4–6, 6–1, 6–3 1938 Norman Farquharson Vernon Kirby 4–6, 4–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–0 1939 Eric Sturgess Eustace Fannin 6–2, 9–7, 3–6, 6–8, 7–5 1940 Eric Sturgess Robert H. M. Bertram 6–3, 2–6, 6–0, 6–2 1941–1945 Not held (WW2) 1946 Eric Sturgess Norman Farquharson 6–0, 6–2, 6–3 1947 Eustace Fannin Eric Sturgess 6–1, 6–2, 1–6, 0–6, 6–4 1948 Eric Sturgess Tony Mottram 6–3, 6–4, 6–8, 6–1 1949 Eric Sturgess Geoffrey Brown 4–6, 6–4, 6–2, 7–5 1950 Eric Sturgess Arthur Larsen 6–1, 6–1, 3–6, 6–2 1951 Eric Sturgess Sydney Levy 6–3, 6–2, 7–5 1952 Eric Sturgess Sydney Levy 6–2, 6–2, 6–3 1953 Eric Sturgess Russell Seymour 6–1, 6–3, 6–3 1954 Eric Sturgess Jaroslav Drobný 5–7, 6–3, 6–4, 8–6 1955 Russell Seymour Gordon Forbes 1–6, 9–7, 6–1, 8–6 1956 Ian Vermaak Torsten Johansson 6–2, 4–6, 3–6, 6–3, 8–6 1957 Eric Sturgess Gaetan Koenig 9–7, 6–3, 6–1 1958 Ulf Schmidt Torben Ulrich 1–6, 12–10, 6–2, 6–8, 6–2 1959 Gordon Forbes Ian Vermaak 6–4, 6–4, 6–2 1960 Butch Buchholz Jack Frost 6–1, 7–5, 6–3 1961 Gordon Forbes Julie Mayer 8–6, 3–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4 1962 Bob Mark Gordon Forbes 6–1, 6–1, 2–6, 8–6 1963 Wilhelm Bungert Gordon Forbes 6–4, 6–4, 8–6 1964 Abe Segal Gordon Forbes 4–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–3 1965 Cliff Drysdale Juan Manuel Couder 1–6, 6–3, 6–4, 1–6, 6–3 1966 Roy Emerson Bob Hewitt 6–3, 2–6, 3–6, 6–4, 7–5 1967 Manuel Santana Jan Leschly 2–6, 6–2, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 1968 Tom Okker Marty Riessen 12–10, 6–1, 6–4↓  Open Era  ↓ 1969 Rod Laver Tom Okker 6–3, 10–8, 6–3 1970 Rod Laver Frew McMillan 4–6, 6–2, 6–1, 6–2 1971 Ken Rosewall Fred Stolle 6–4, 6–0, 6–4 1972 Cliff Richey Manuel Orantes 6–4, 7–5, 3–6, 6–4 1973 Jimmy Connors Arthur Ashe 6–4, 7–6, 6–3 1974 Jimmy Connors Arthur Ashe 7–6, 6–3, 6–1 1975 Harold Solomon Brian Gottfried 6–2, 6–4, 5–7, 6–1 1976 Harold Solomon Brian Gottfried 6–2, 6–7, 6–3, 6–4 1977 Guillermo Vilas Buster Mottram 7–6, 6–3, 6–4 1978 Tim Gullikson Harold Solomon 2–6, 7–6, 7–6, 6–7, 6–4 1979 Andrew Pattison Víctor Pecci 2–6 6–3 6–2 6–3 1980 Kim Warwick Fritz Buehning 6–2, 6–1, 6–2 1981 Vitas Gerulaitis Jeff Borowiak 6–4, 7–6, 6–1 1982 Vitas Gerulaitis Guillermo Vilas 7–6, 6–2, 4–6, 7–6 1983 Johan Kriek Colin Dowdeswell 6–4, 4–6, 1–6, 7–5, 6–3 1984 Eliot Teltscher Vitas Gerulaitis 6–3, 6–1, 7–6 1985 Matt Anger Brad Gilbert 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2 1986 Amos Mansdorf Matt Anger 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 7–5 1987 Pat Cash Brad Gilbert 7–6, 4–6, 2–6, 6–0, 6–1 1988 Jakob Hlasek Christo van Rensburg 6–7, 6–4, 6–1, 7–6 1989 Christo van Rensburg Paul Chamberlin 6–4, 7–6, 6–3 1990 Wayne Ferreira Mark Kaplan 6–3 7–5 7–6 1991 Todd Witsken Wayne Ferreira 4–6 6–4 6–4 1992 Aaron Krickstein Alexander Volkov 6–4, 6–4 1993 Aaron Krickstein Grant Stafford 6–3, 7–6 1994 Markus Zoecke Hendrik Dreekmann 6–4, 6–1 1995 Martin Sinner Guillaume Raoux 6–1, 6–4 1996–2006 Not held 2007 (CH) Mathieu Montcourt Rik de Voest 5–7, 6–3, 6–2 2008 (CH) Ivan Ljubičić Stefan Koubek 7–6, 6–4

Women's singles