The Farmers Classic men’s tennis tournament in Los Angeles has been discontinued after 85 years, and its ATP sanction has been sold to a group in Bogota, Colombia.
The Southern California Tennis Association announced the decision on Tuesday after extensive attempts to find new sponsors for the University of California event.
The tournament began in 1927 at the Los Angeles Tennis Club, with former champions including Rod Laver, Arthur Ashe, Pancho Gonzales, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.
The event struggled financially in recent years with revolving sponsorships and a dearth of American men’s stars, tournament director Bob Kramer said.
Its two principal sponsors, Farmers Insurance and Mercedes-Benz, both failed to renew sponsorships.
The quality of the field also declined in latter years. Sam Querrey won three of the past four tournaments.