Why is everyone talking about the Masters Cup?

Like its name implies, the Tennis Masters Cup is a yearly men’s tennis tournament that is played between only the eight most highly-ranked men’s tennis players in the world for that year. It literally is a game for the tennis masters themselves, so a ticket for the 2008 Tennis Masters Cup is bound to be hard to get. Get your ticket early to avoid losing the chance to watch this classic Masters Cup Tennis competition between the best male tennis players of the world.

This 2008, the Tennis Masters Cup is going to be hosted at the Qi Zhong Stadium of Shanghai, China, with Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor as the defending champions for the doubles matches, and Roger Federer as the defending champion for the singles matches. Shanghai has been the host city for the Masters Cup Tennis matches from 2005 to 2007. In 2009, you can expect that the competition will be held in London instead, so you could also scout around for ticket sources for that competition this early. London is expected to be the host city for the tourney until year 2012.

Back in 1970, this men’s tennis tournament was founded as The Masters tourney by the ITF (or International Tennis Federation.) It was only in December 1999 that the ITF and the ATP (or Association of Tennis Professionals) set up what is now known as the Tennis Masters Cup. In 2009, the Tennis Masters Cup will still be held but under the new name of ATP World Tour Finals.

Five Tennis Masters Cup titles were won by Pete Sampras (whom some claim is the most successful men’s tennis player ever seen.) Ivan Lendl also has five Tennis Masters Cup titles to his name, so these two are of equal status in that respect. To win the Tennis Masters Cup is deemed one of the highest honors you could ever win as a men’s tennis player.

Before you can be considered to play in the Tennis Masters Cup, a male tennis player has to compete in and win a certain number of major tennis tournaments first. If you have ever bought a ticket or been given a ticket to even one of these major tennis tournaments, then you know from watching the match that to win even one tournament is already a crucial feat in itself. Thus, to be permitted to compete in the Tennis Masters Cup is a great honor already – winning this Masters Cup Tennis title is just the icing on the cake, so to speak.

If you find that you are up to date on the tournament statistics of your favorite player, you might want to help him along during the Tennis Masters Cup itself by being a source of moral support. So buy a ticket and cheer on your champion at the Shanghai Tennis Masters Cup.