Silicon Valley Classic Explained

Silicon Valley Classic
Type:defunct
Tour:ILTF World Circuit (1971–72)
Virginia Slims Circuit (1973–87)
WTA Tour (1988–2022)
Logo Size:200px
Editions:50 (2022)
City:San Jose, California
Country:United States
Venue:San Jose State University
Tier:WTA Tier II
(1990 - 2008)
WTA Premier tournaments
(2009 - 2019)
WTA 500
(2021 - 2022)
Surface:Hardcourt / outdoor
Draw:28S / 16SQ / 16D)2022)
Prize Money:US$ 757,900 (2022)
Website:mubadalasvc.com

The Silicon Valley Classic was a tennis tournament on the WTA Tour held on the campus of San Jose State University in San Jose, California. Started in 1971, the tournament was the oldest women's-only tournament in the world and was played on outdoor hardcourts.[1] It was the first women's tournament in the annual US Open Series.

The tournament started out as the British Motor Cars Invitation in 1971 on the Virginia Slims circuit. Prior to 1978, the tournament was known as the Virginia Slims of San Francisco. The tournament was sponsored by Bank of the West from 1992 to 2017 (branding it as the Bank of the West Classic), and held on the campus of Stanford University from 1997 to 2017, and run by Dick Gould.[2] The event moved to San Jose State University in 2018 and received a new sponsor, Mubadala Investment Company, branding the tournament as the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic.[3]

Martina Navratilova won the tournament a record five times (1979–1980, 1988, 1991, and 1993).[4]

On June 1, 2023, it was announced that the tournament would merge with the pre-existing Washington Open and move permanently to Washington, D.C. The Washington tournament thereby went from being a WTA 250 event to being a WTA 500 event. The Silicon Valley Classic thus held its final tournament in 2022.[5]

Past finals

Singles

YearChampionRunner-upScore
1971 6–3, 6–4
1972 Billie Jean King (2) 7–6(5–0), 7–6(5–2)
1973 6–3, 6–3
1974 Billie Jean King (3) 7–6(5–2), 6–2
1975 6–1, 6–1
1976 Chris Evert (2) 7–5, 7–6(5–2)
1977 6–3, 6–4
1978 Not held
7–5, 7–5
Martina Navratilova (2) 6–1, 7–6(7–4)
1981 6–3, 6–1
1982 Andrea Jaeger (2) 7–6(7–5), 6–4
1983 6–3, 6–3
1984 7–6(8–6), 3–6, 6–4
1985 Hana Mandlíková (2) 6–2, 6–4
1986 Chris Evert (3) 6–2, 6–4
1987 7–5, 4–6, 6–3
Martina Navratilova (3) 6–1, 6–2
Zina Garrison (2) 6–1, 6–1
↓  Tier II tournament  ↓
6–3, 7–6(7–5)
Martina Navratilova (4) 6–3, 3–6, 6–3
Monica Seles (2) 6–3, 6–4
Martina Navratilova (5) 6–2, 7–6(7–1)
1–6, 7–6(7–5), 7–6(7–5)
6–3, 6–4
6–2, 6–0
Martina Hingis (2) 6–0, 6–2
6–4, 5–7, 6–4
Lindsay Davenport (2) 7–6(7–1), 6–2
6–1, 6–4
6–4, 6–7(5–7), 6–1
Venus Williams (2) 6–3, 6–3
Kim Clijsters (2) 4–6, 6–4, 6–2
Lindsay Davenport (3) 7–6(7–4), 5–7, 7–6(7–4)
Kim Clijsters (3) 7–5, 6–2
Kim Clijsters (4) 6–4, 6–2
6–3, 6–2
7–5, 6–3
↓  Premier tournament  ↓
6–2, 5–7, 6–4
6–4, 6–1
7–5, 6–1
Serena Williams (2) 7–5, 6–3
3–6, 6–4, 6–4
Serena Williams (3) 7–6(7–1), 6–3
6–3, 5–7, 6–4
7–5, 5–7, 6–2
7–6(7–4), 6–4
6–1, 6–0
6–3, 7–6(7–3)
2020 Not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic
↓  WTA 500 tournament  ↓
6–3, 6–7(10–12), 6–1
6–7(2–7), 6–1, 6–2

Doubles

YearChampionsRunners-upScore
1971 Rosemary Casals
Billie Jean King
6–4, 6–7, 6–1
1972 Rosemary Casals (2)
Virginia Wade
6–3, 5–7, 6–2
1973 Margaret Court
Lesley Hunt
6–1, 7–5
1974 Chris Evert
Billie Jean King (2)
6–4, 6–2
1975 Chris Evert (2)
Billie Jean King (3)
6–2, 7–5
1976 Billie Jean King (4)
Betty Stöve
6–4, 6–1
1977 Kerry Reid
Greer Stevens
6–3, 6–1
1978Not held
1979 Rosemary Casals (3)
Chris Evert (3)
3–6, 6–4, 6–3
1980 Sue Barker
Ann Kiyomura
6–0, 6–4
1981 Rosemary Casals (4)
Wendy Turnbull
6–1, 6–4
1982 Barbara Potter
Sharon Walsh
6–1, 3–6, 7–6(7–5)
1983 Claudia Kohde-Kilsch
Eva Pfaff
6–4, 4–6, 6–4
1984 Martina Navratilova
Pam Shriver
6–2, 6–3
1985 Hana Mandlíková
Wendy Turnbull
4–6, 7–5, 6–1
1986 Hana Mandlíková (2)
Wendy Turnbull (3)
7–6(7–5), 6–1
1987 Hana Mandlíková (3)
Wendy Turnbull (4)
6–4, 7–6(7–4)
1988 Rosemary Casals (5)
Martina Navratilova (2)
6–4, 6–4
1989 Patty Fendick
Jill Hetherington
7–5, 3–6, 6–2
1990 Meredith McGrath
Anne Smith
2–6, 6–0, 6–4
1991 Patty Fendick (2)
Gigi Fernández
6–4, 7–5
1992 Gigi Fernández (2)
Natalia Zvereva
3–6, 6–2, 6–4
1993 Patty Fendick (3)
Meredith McGrath (2)
6–2, 6–0
1994 Lindsay Davenport
Arantxa Sánchez
7–5, 6–4
1995 Lori McNeil
Helena Suková
3–6, 6–4, 6–3
1996 Lindsay Davenport (2)
Mary Joe Fernández
Irina Spîrlea
Nathalie Tauziat
6–1, 6–3
1997 Lindsay Davenport (3)
Martina Hingis
6–1, 6–3
1998 Lindsay Davenport (4)
Natasha Zvereva (2)
6–4, 6–4
1999 Lindsay Davenport (5)
Corina Morariu
6–4, 6–4
2000 Chanda Rubin
Sandrine Testud
6–4, 6–4
2001 Janet Lee
Wynne Prakusya
3–6, 6–3, 6–3
2002 Lisa Raymond
Rennae Stubbs
6–1, 6–1
2003 Cara Black
Lisa Raymond (2)
7–6(7–5), 6–1
2004 Eleni Daniilidou
Nicole Pratt
6–2, 6–4
2005 Cara Black (2)
Rennae Stubbs (2)
6–3, 7–5
2006 Anna-Lena Grönefeld
Shahar Pe'er
6–1, 6–4
2007 Sania Mirza
Shahar Pe'er (2)
6–4, 7–6(7–5)
2008 Cara Black (3)
Liezel Huber
Elena Vesnina
Vera Zvonareva
6–4, 6–3
↓  Premier tournament  ↓
2009 Serena Williams
Venus Williams
Chan Yung-jan
Monica Niculescu
6–4, 6–1
2010 Lindsay Davenport (6)
Liezel Huber (2)
Chan Yung-jan
Zheng Jie
7–5, 6–7(8–10), 10–8
2011 Victoria Azarenka
Maria Kirilenko
Liezel Huber
Lisa Raymond
6–1, 6–3
2012 Marina Erakovic
Heather Watson
Jarmila Gajdošová
Vania King
7–5, 7–6(9–7)
2013 Raquel Kops-Jones
Abigail Spears
Julia Görges
Darija Jurak
6–2, 7–6(7–4)
2014 Garbiñe Muguruza
Carla Suárez Navarro
Paula Kania
Kateřina Siniaková
6–2, 4–6, [10–5]
2015 Xu Yifan
Zheng Saisai
Anabel Medina Garrigues
Arantxa Parra Santonja
6–1, 6–3
2016 Raquel Atawo (2)
Abigail Spears (2)
Darija Jurak
Anastasia Rodionova
6–3, 6–4
2017 Abigail Spears (3)
Coco Vandeweghe
Alizé Cornet
Alicja Rosolska
6–2, 6–3
2018 Latisha Chan
Květa Peschke
Lyudmyla Kichenok
Nadiia Kichenok
6–4, 6–1
2019 Nicole Melichar
Květa Peschke (2)
Shuko Aoyama
Ena Shibahara
6–4, 6–4
2020 not held due to the coronavirus pandemic
↓  WTA 500 tournament  ↓
2021 Darija Jurak
Andreja Klepač
6–1, 7–5
2022 Xu Yifan (2)
Yang Zhaoxuan
Shuko Aoyama
Chan Hao-ching
7–5, 6–0

Date, name and venue history

Dates, Names and Venues[6]
YearDatesNameVenue
19716–9 JanBritish Motor Cars InvitationSan Francisco Civic Auditorium
197212–15 Jan
1973week of 15 Jan
1974week of 14 JanVirginia Slims of San Francisco<--dummy cell, Civic 4-->
1975week of 6 Jan
1976week of 1 Mar
1977week of 28 Feb
1978Not held
19798–14 JanAvon Championships of CaliforniaOakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena
1980week of 11 Feb
19819–15 Feb
198222–28 Feb
198321–27 FebVirginia Slims of California<--dummy cell, Oakland 5-->
19849–15 Jan
198518–25 Feb
1986week of 24 Feb
1987week of 9 Feb
198815–21 Feb
198920–26 Feb
199029 Oct–4 Nov
19914–10 Nov
19922–8 NovBank of the West Classic<--dummy cell, Oakland 14-->
19931–7 Nov
1994week of 31 Oct
199530 Oct–5 Nov
1996week of 4 NovHenry J Kaiser Arena
199721–27 JulTaube Tennis Center (Stanford)
199827 Jul–2 Aug
199926 Jul–1 Aug
200024–30 Jul
200123–29 Jul
200222–28 Jul
200321–27 Jul
2004week of 12 Jul
2005week of 25 Jul
200624–30 Jul
2007week of 23 Jul
200812–20 Jul
200925 Jul–2 Aug
201024 Jul–1 Aug
201123–31 Jul
20129–15 Jul
201321–28 Jul
201426 Jul–3 Aug
20151–9 Aug
201618-24 Jul
201731 Jul–6 Aug
201830 Jul–5 AugSilicon Valley ClassicSan Jose State University

Notes and References

  1. http://www.bankofthewestclassic.com/eventinfo/History.htm Bank of the West Classic history
  2. Web site: WTA | Off-Court News | Off-Court News | on This Day: First Virginia Slims Series Begins . 2011-08-07 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120305192102/http://www.wtatennis.com/page/OffCourtNews/Read/0,,12781~2258488,00.html . 2012-03-05 .
  3. Web site: Stanford moves to San Jose for 2018 . 14 March 2018.
  4. Web site: July 27, 2010 . Bank of West Classic reaches 40 years . CNN.
  5. News: Wallace . Ava . 2023-06-01 . D.C.'s Citi Open merges with Silicon Valley Classic to boost women's event . en-US . Washington Post . 2023-08-01 . 0190-8286.
  6. Web site: Bank of the West Classic: Previous Winners . . 2015 . WTA Tour . 24 March 2015 .