US Open

US Open - Flushing Meadows

The United States Open tennis tournament, commonly referred to as the U.S. Open (or as simply the Open in the U.S. only), is the fourth and final event of the Grand Slam tennis tournaments. It is held annually in August/September over a period of two weeks (the weeks prior to and following Labor Day weekend).

US Open History
The U.S. Open originates from two separate tournaments: the men's tournament and the women's tournament. The event was first held in August 1881 and staged at the Newport Casino, Newport, Rhode Island (men's singles only). Only clubs that were members of the United States National Lawn Tennis Association were permitted to enter.

The Open Era began in 1968 when all five events were merged into the newly named "U.S. Open" at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, Queens. Notably, the 1968 combined tournament was opened to professionals; neither predecessor tournament allowed professionals to compete. That year 96 men and 63 women entered the event with prize money amounting to $100,000. In 1978, the event moved from Forest Hills to its current home at Flushing Meadows.

The main court is located at the 23,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium, named after Arthur Ashe, the great African American tennis player who won the inaugural men's final of the U.S. Open in 1968. The surfaces of all its courts are hard, so the U.S. Open always provides tennis at a very high speed.

The US Open is also unique in that it is the only Grand Slam event where most of the courts are lit, meaning that TV coverage of the tournament can extend into prime-time to attract more ratings.

In 2005, all US Open and US Open Series Tennis courts were given blue inner courts and green outer courts to show uniformity, and to make it easier to see the ball. This change has been met with mixed reactions from both players and fans, many players saying that the ball is no easier to see with the blue courts.

The US Open was originally played on grass until Forest Hills switched to hardcourt in the mid '70s.