 The circuit was composed of 19 tournaments, all based in the United States (one in Puerto Rico), and prize money totalled $309,100.Formation of the Virginia Slims Circuit resulted in part from changes that tennis was undergoing at the time and from the way prize monies were distributed.During the first two years of the Open Era many male players began playing professionally, and the tournaments in which they competed, often men's and women's combined events, attracted increased investment.