Cochet turned professional, signing a contract with the Tilden Tennis Tour for a guaranteed annual payment of £25,000 and he joined the team of Bill Tilden and Martin Plaa. Although he was still featured on the amateur world rankings published on the 20th of the month, where he was listed one spot behind Ellsworth Vines at number six, Cochet was also on Pierre Gillou's list in fourth place, also right after Vines. Cochet made his professional debut in a Franco-American match on 22 September and defeated Bruce Barnes. Three days later he lost to Tilden in straight sets. He also made appearances at the French Riviera with Plaa with back and forth matches across France. On 10 October Tilden signed Vines to the pro tour and from then Cochet's archrival and him competed within the same league again. 1934 In early 1934 Cochet went on to showcase in Santiago and Vina del Mar, where he was challenged by the Pilo Facondi and Perico Facondi brothers, Chile's leading professionals, who both lost two matches each against Cochet. Plaa and Cochet returned in February to the Madison Square Garden where Vines and Tilden were already practising and waiting for them. In New York, Vines and Tilden outclassed Cochet in a four and five-set match respectively and the Americans were victorious in the doubles over the French pair as well. During the ten-city tour across the United States and Canada, the Tilden-Cochet match was always the main fixture. Tilden finished the tour as winner by an eight to two head-to-head margin against Cochet. In April in Providence Cochet was drawn to play Vincent Richards in singles and with Plaa played Barnes and Richards, both matches resulted in a French two straight sets victory. Cochet and Richards toured North America in April and May. The first official tournament of a new tournament circuit was held in May at the Park Avenue Tennis Club, New York and was called the Eastern Pro Championships. Cochet finished in fourth place in the concluding round-robin. In late May Philadelphia hosted the Middle States tournament at its Germantown Cricket Club; Cochet advanced to the semi-final where Tilden's superiority proved to be his undoing. Cochet then sailed home to France and consequently missed the US Pro Tennis Championships. He chose instead to gather money in exhibition matches in Havana, Haiti, and Martinique on his way home. In France the official