What Is 1987 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix

Overview

The 1987 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix was a prominent stop on the women’s professional tennis circuit, part of the Toyota Series One tier of the WTA Tour. Held in Filderstadt, West Germany, the event attracted top players during the fall indoor season, serving as critical preparation for the season-ending WTA Championships.

Played from October 19 to October 25, 1987, the tournament featured a 32-player singles draw and 16-team doubles draw. As an indoor hardcourt event, it provided consistent playing conditions and allowed players to fine-tune their games ahead of the year’s final tournaments.

• Steffi Graf won the singles title by defeating Claudia Kohde-Kilsch 6–3, 6–2 in the final, showcasing her dominance on indoor surfaces.
• The tournament was held at the Schleyerhalle in Filderstadt, a venue known for its excellent acoustics and intimate atmosphere for fans.
• With a total prize purse of $250,000, it was one of the more lucrative women’s events of the 1987 season.
• Graf earned $45,000 for her victory, the largest single payout of the tournament, reflecting her top-seeded status.
• This marked Graf’s 13th title of 1987, a season in which she also won three Grand Slam titles and ascended to World No. 1.

How It Works

The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix operated as a standard WTA-tier event with structured draws, seeding, and a knockout format. Players competed in best-of-three sets, with tiebreaks used in all sets.

• Indoor Hard Courts: The tournament used Rebound Ace surface, providing medium-paced play with consistent bounce and reduced weather interference.
• Draw Size: The singles draw included 32 players, with eight seeds receiving first-round byes to streamline the competition.
• Seeding: Players were seeded based on WTA rankings as of October 12, 1987, ensuring top performers faced weaker opponents early.
• Match Format: All matches were played in a best-of-three sets format, with standard tiebreaks at 6–6.
• Prize Money Distribution: The winner received 18% of the total purse, with decreasing percentages for finalists, semifinalists, and early-round losers.
• Points Allocation: The winner earned 300 WTA ranking points, crucial for year-end standings and Grand Slam seedings.

Comparison at a Glance

Below is a comparison of the 1987 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix with similar-tier WTA events from the same season:

This comparison highlights how the 1987 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix ranked among the top indoor events of the year in prize money and competitive depth. While slightly below the largest U.S. indoor tournaments in financial terms, it remained a key destination for European-based players like Graf and Kohde-Kilsch due to proximity and prestige.

Why It Matters

The 1987 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix was more than just another tournament—it reflected the growing commercialization and geographic reach of women’s tennis during the late 1980s. With strong corporate sponsorship from Porsche and high-profile German players, it helped elevate the WTA Tour’s visibility in Europe.

• Boosted Steffi Graf’s legacy: Her victory reinforced her status as the world’s best player, coming just months after winning the French Open and US Open.
• Highlighted German tennis strength: With two Germans in the final, the event underscored West Germany’s emergence as a tennis powerhouse.
• Advanced women’s sports sponsorship: Porsche’s continued investment demonstrated corporate confidence in women’s athletics.
• Provided crucial ranking points: The 300 points helped Graf secure her year-end No. 1 ranking.
• Influenced future tournament formats: Its success led to the event becoming a WTA 500-level tournament in later decades.
• Preserved indoor tennis tradition: The event helped maintain the indoor circuit’s relevance in the modern tennis calendar.

Today, the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix remains a staple of the WTA Tour, now held in Stuttgart and continuing its legacy of high-level competition and innovation in women’s tennis.