After the Federation's impetus, tennis began to slow down in the mid-1930s. Contact with foreign players was limited to the International Championships in Portugal and was insufficient to keep pace with the developments taking place in many countries.
Tennis in the development of tourism
From the 1930s onwards, tennis, like other sports, became a tourist attraction in Portugal's spas and beaches.
Lisbon Postcard - Jamôr Valley - Tennis StadiumNational Sports Museum - IPDJ
The National Stadium Tennis Center
It opened in 1945 with a doubles tournament featuring renowned international elite players. World War II hampered the organization and development of tennis, but in the late 1940s, foreign players provided a new boost.
Peggy Brixhe in Estoril against Alice TymmNational Sports Museum - IPDJ
Peggy Brixhe dominated women's tennis from 1945 to 1966. An eight-time singles champion, the Englishwoman had virtually no rival.
José Roquette at Stadium No. 179, 1935 (1935) by Stadium n.º 179, 1935National Sports Museum - IPDJ
The reign of José Roquette and the 1950s
José Roquette (1910-2003) was Portugal's first true tennis champion and considered one of the best players in the Iberian Peninsula. He won the national singles and doubles championship 14 times between 1934 and 1953.
The 1950s showed signs of change, allowing the empowerment of a new generation.
A New State of Mind (1960s)
The 1960s were characterized by the emergence of new perspectives. Exhibitions were increasingly fashionable, and the arrival of stars like Lew Hoad, Rod Laver, and Andres Gimeno to Portugal, along with Manuel Santana's supremacy at the Internacionals in Cascais and Estoril, were stirring things up.
David Cohen was the first Portuguese player to compete in the main draw of the US Open (1963), and João Lagos and João Roquette formed the first Portuguese duo to compete in a Grand Slam tournament, at Roland Garros (1966).
Portugal made its Federation Cup debut in 1968 in Paris.
It was a lively decade marked by the great duels between Alfredo Vaz Pinto, João Lagos, and José Vilela.
José Vilela and João Lagos dominated the 1970s, and Leonor Peralta won 10 consecutive national titles. Pedro Cordeiro dominated the first half of the 1980s and was a pioneer on the professional circuit.
Raul Peralta, José Vilela, Vaz Pinto, Olívio Silva and captain David Cohen host Turkey for the Davis Cup, at the National Stadium, in May 1971. (1971)National Sports Museum - IPDJ
The "open" era (70s and 80s)
1968 marked the beginning of the Open era, ending the separation between the amateur and professional circuits, ushering in the expansion of tennis in Portugal. In May 1971, Portugal secured its second Davis Cup victory.
In 1977, the word "Lawn" was dropped from the organization's name because most tennis competitions were no longer played on grass courts.
In 1978, the Portuguese Lawn Tennis Federation began using the Portuguese form "ténis," becoming the Portuguese Tennis Federation.
The great figures of world tennis
With the end of the International Championships in 1973, there was a need to attract big stars to entertain an audience eager for a good tennis show.
The 1980s saw the return of exhibition matches, featuring big names like Björn Borg, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Kevin Curren, Vitas Gerulaitis, Ivan Lendl, and others. This revived interest in tennis and sparked a boom in new players.
1983 Portuguese Open (1983)National Sports Museum - IPDJ
The first Portuguese Open
In 1983, he brought in Yannick Noah and Matts Wilander, among others. The initiative was a success, but it didn't continue.
1990s
The seeds planted in the 1980s launched national tennis to a much more ambitious level. Portugal joined the ATP international circuit, with the first Estoril Open taking place in 1990. The number of clubs affiliated with the National Tennis Federation grew to over 300.
The 4 Musketeers of Tennis
Nuno Marques, João Cunha e Silva, Bernardo Mota, and Emanuel Couto became known as the Portuguese "four musketeers" for their remarkable feat in the Davis Cup in 1994. Several Portuguese players began to participate in Grand Slam tournaments.
Bernardo Mota and Emanuel CoutoNational Sports Museum - IPDJ
First edition of the Masters Cup at the Pavilhão Atlântico 2000 (2000) by Carlos Ribeiro/IPDJNational Sports Museum - IPDJ
New century
Closing the 2000 season, Portugal hosted the Tennis Masters Cup, which brought together the 8 best players in the world: among others, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Marat Safin and Gustavo Kuerten, who rose to world number one that day.
The Estoril Open brought stars such as Nadal (2004), Djokovic (2007) and Federer (2008). Portugal also shone in refereeing: Jorge Dias officiated the Wimbledon final in 2001, followed by Carlos Ramos (2007) and Mariana Alves in the 2010 women's final.
Golden years of women's tennis
At the turn of the century, women's tennis began to expand when Sofia Prazeres, 9 times national champion at the age of 23, stopped and paved the way for a healthy rivalry.
Several names stand out: Ana Catarina Nogueira, Frederica Piedade, Neuza Silva, Maria João Koehler and Michelle Brito, the only one to climb into the world's Top 100 (76th in 2009). In 2013, Michelle Brito defeated Maria Sharapova, then number 3, at Wimbledon. Historic.
Rui Machado at the Davis Cup 2015 (2015)National Sports Museum - IPDJ
New reality
Frederico Gil reaching the Estoril Open final in 2010 was a clear sign that Portuguese tennis was changing. More players are reaching the Top 100: Frederico Gil, Rui Machado, Gastão Elias, and, most successfully, João Sousa.
Olympic return
After a 16-year absence, Portugal returns to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro (2016). João Sousa and Gastão Elias compete in singles and doubles.
Portuguese Tennis Federation (FTP) and International Tennis Federation (ITF)National Sports Museum - IPDJ
Portugal's international affirmation
The Portuguese Tennis Federation has responded to the new challenges and demands of modern times. Portugal's international recognition has not gone unnoticed by the ITF's affiliated countries, and it is hosting the ITF Conference and Annual General Assembly for the first time.
Keep visiting
The visit to the second part of the exhibition dedicated to the History of Tennis in Portugal – from 1930 to 2019 – has concluded.
Visit the previous part:
Part 1: History of Tennis in Portugal – from 1876 to the 1930s
Content based on the original exhibition at the National Sports Museum - MND (2019) "History of Tennis in Portugal from 1875 to 2019"
Coordination of the original exhibition project at the National Sports Museum (Foz Palace) from 2019 to 2021:
National Sports Museum - IPDJ
Portuguese Tennis Federation
Curated by:
National Sports Museum - IPDJ
Norberto Santos
Digital version: IPDJ/MND, 2025
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