US Open History

 

The US Open is one of the four Grand Slam Tournaments and for many the most popular one.

It all started back in August 1881, the very first event in the US Open history and it was known as the U.S. National Singles Championship. The US Open originated from two separate tournaments: the men’s tournament and the women’s tournament. In 1881, it was the men to compete first, and the competition took place at the Newport Casino, Rhode Island. As tennis was considered an exclusive sport only the ‘’high society’’, only clubs that were members of the United States National Lawn Tennis Association were permitted to enter. Since 1915, the tournament has been played at the West Side Tennis Club at Forest Hills (with the exception of years 1921-1923, when it was played at the Germantown Cricket Club).

In 1887, the Women’s National Singles Championship took place at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. Two years later, the U.S.Women’s National Doubles Championship and U.S.Mixed Doubles Championship were organized.

The very first US Open (open era) began in 1968 at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills and for the first time professionals were allowed to take part in the competition. 96 men and 63 women entered the event and the prize money totalled $100,000. Initially, the tournament was played on grass, before the change to clay (1975). Another surface change was in 1978, when player went from clay to DecoTurf, more commonly known as ‘’hard courts’’ and this hasn’t changed up till today. It is a faster surface with a lower bounce compared to the one used at the Australian Open (Rebound Ace surface).

Jimmy Connors is the only player to have won on all three surfaces in all of US Open history.

In 1970, the US Open was the first of all the Grand Slam tournaments to use a tiebreak at the end of the set. It is the only Grand Slam tournament where the tiebreak decides the final outcome of the 5^th set.

The main court is the Arthur Ashe Stadium, that has a capacity of 22,547 individual seats and 90 luxury suites. It’s located in Flushing Meadow Park and cost $254 million to construct. Opening in 1997, it has been named after the famous African American tennis player Arthur Ashe, the inaugural US Open winner in 1968, in which professionals could compete for the first time.

The second largest is the Louis Armstrong Stadium, that opened in 1978. Initially, it had a capacity of 18,000 seats, but after the opening of the Arthur Ashe Stadium this was reduced to 10,200.

The biggest change for the players came in 2006 with the introduction of the Hawk-Eye computer system. It allows instant replay reviews of line calls. Each player has got the opportunity to challenge the line call 3 times per set plus one additional time during a tiebreak. If the challenge is successful, the player keeps the existing challenge.

Watch the 1976 US Open Final – Bjorg Vs Connors

PRIZE MONEY:

The 2010 US Open featured the richest purse ever. It topped $22.6 million, an additional $1 million to the previous year.

For the 38^th consecutive year, the USTA offered equal prize money to both men and women. The winners earned $1.7 million each.

2011 US Open Prize money table

Singles (Men & Women)

Winners	$1,800,000
Runners-Up	$900,000
Semifinalists	$450,000
Quarterfinalists	$225,000
Round of 16	$110,000
Third Round	$55,000
Second Round	$31,000
First Round	$19,000
TOTAL  Both Men & Women (128 X 2)	$16,936,000

 

Doubles (Men & Women – prize money per team)

Winners	$420,000
Runners-Up	$210,000
Semifinalists	$105,000
Quarterfinalists	$50,000
Round of 16	$25,000
Second Round	$15,000
First Round	$10,000
TOTAL  Both Men & Women (64 X 2)	$3,600,000

 

Mixed Doubles (prize money per team)

Winners	$150,000
Runners-Up	$70,000
Semifinalists	$30,000
Quarterfinalists	$15,000
Second Round	$10,000
First Round	$5,000
TOTAL  (32)	$500,000

 

Singles Qualifying (Men & Women)

Third Round Losers (16)	$8,000
Second Round Losers (32)	$5,625
First Round Losers (64)	$3,000
Total  Both Men & Women (112 X 2)	$1000,000

TOTAL FOR ALL EVENTS                              $22,063,000

 

PAST CHAMPIONS:

Last 10 years:

Year	Winner	Runner-up	Score
2010	Rafael Nadal	Novak Djokovic	6/4  5/7  6/4  6/2
2009	Juan Martin Del Potro	Roger Federer	3/6  7/6(5)  4/6  7/6(4)  6/2
2008	Roger Federer	Andy Murray	6/2  7/5  6/2
2007	Roger Federer	Novak Djokovic	7/6(4)  7/6(2)  6/4
2006	Roger Federer	Andy Roddick	6/2  4/6  7/5  6/1
2005	Roger Federer	Andre Agassi	6/3  2/6  7/6(1)  6/1
2004	Roger Federer	Lleyton Hewitt	6/0  7/6  6/0
2003	Andy Roddick	Juan Carlos Ferrero	6/3  7/6  6/3
2002	Pete Sampras	Andre Agassi	6/3  6/4  5/7  6/4
2001	Lleyton Hewitt	Pete Sampras	7/6(4)  6/1  6/1

 

Previous years:

http://2010.usopen.org/en_US/about/history/mschamps.html?promo=subnav

ALL TIME RECORDS:

Most singles titles:

Men
7 – Richard Sears 1881-87; Bill Larned 1901-02, ’07-11; Bill Tilden 1920- 25, ’29
5 – Jimmy Connors 1974, ’76, ’78, ’82-83; Pete Sampras 1990, ’93, ’95-96, ’02; Roger Federer, 2004-08
4 – Bob Wrenn 1893-94, ’96-97; John McEnroe 1979-81, ’84
3 – Oliver Campbell 1890-92; Mal Whitman 1898-1900; Fred Perry 1933-34, ’36; Ivan Lendl 1985-87

Women

8 – Molla B. Mallory 1915-18, ’20-22, ’26
7 – Helen Wills Moody 1923-25, ’27-29, ’31
6 – Chris Evert Lloyd 1975-78, ’80, ’82
5 – Margaret Smith Court 1962, ’65, ’69-70, ’73; Steffi Graf 1988-89, ’93, ’95-96
4 – Elisabeth Moore 1896, 1901, ’03, ’05; Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman 1909-11, ’19; Helen H. Jacobs 1932-35; Alice Marble 1936, ’38-40; Pauline Betz 1942-44, ’46; Maria Bueno 1959, ’63-64, ’66; Billie Jean King 1967, ’71-72, ’74; Martina Navratilova 1983-84, ’86-87

Most singles finals:

Men

10 – Bill Tilden, 1918-25, ’27, ’29
9 – Bill Larned
8 – Bill Johnston, Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras
7 – Richard Sears, Jimmy Connors
6 – Andre Agassi
5 – Roger Federer, Maurice McLoughlin, John McEnroe

Women

10 – Molla B. Mallory, 1915-18, ’20-24, ’26
9 – Helen Wills Moody, Chris Evert
8 – Elisabeth Moore, Helen H. Jacobs, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf
6 – Pauline Betz, A. Louise Brough, Doris Hart, Margaret Smith Court

 

Most singles finals (successive)

Men

8 – Bill Tilden, 1918-25; Ivan Lendl, 1982-89
7 – Richard Sears, 1881-87
5 – Roger Federer, 2004-08; Jimmy Connors, 1974-78; Maurice McLoughlin, 1911-15; Robert Wrenn, 1893-97
4 – Bill Johnston, 1922-25; Bill Larned, 1900-03; Henry Slocum, 1887-90
3 – John McEnroe, 1979-81; Pete Sampras, 2000-2002

 

Women

6 – Chris Evert, 1975-80; Pauline Betz, 1941-46
5 – Elisabeth Moore, 1901-05; Molla B. Mallory, 1920-24; Helen H. Jacobs, 1932-36; Martina Navratilova, 1983-87
4 – Juliette Atkinson, 1895-98; Molla Bjurstedt, 1915-18; Margaret Osborne, 1947-50; Doris Hart, 1952-55; Evonne Goolagong, 1973-76; Steffi Graf, 1993-1996

 

Most Matches Played, Career

Men:

115 – Jimmy Connors, 1970-89, ’91-92
102 – Vic Seixas, 1940-69
98 – Andre Agassi, 1986 – 2006
89 – R. Norris Williams, 1912-35
86 – Ivan Lendl, 1979-94
78 – Bill Tilden, 1916-30

 

Women:

113 – Chris Evert, 1971-89
106 – Martina Navratilova, 1973-93
82 – Steffi Graf, 1984-96, ’98
73 – Helen H. Jacobs, 1927-41; A. Louise Brough, 1941-57; Doris Hart, 1940-55
72 – Molla B. Mallory, 1915-29; Billie Jean King, 1960-79, ’82

 

Longest match by time played

Men

1992 – lasted 5 hours and 26 minutes

Stefan Edberg – Michael Chang   6/7(3)  7/5  7/6(3)  5/7  6/4

Women2008 – lasted 3 hours and 5 minutesSybille Bammer – Marion Bartoli  7/6(3)  0/6  6/4

 

Most doubles titles:

Men

6 – Richard Sears 1882-87; Holcombe Ward 1899-1901, ’04-06
5 – James Dwight 1882-84, ’86-87; Fred B. Alexander 1907-10, ’17; Vincent Richards 1918, ’21-22, ’25-26; Bill Tilden 1918, ’21-23, ’27; George M. Lott, Jr. 1928-30, ’33-34;

 

Women

Women

13 – Margaret O. duPont 1941-50, ’55-57
12 – A. Louise Brough 1942-50, ’55-57
9 – Sarah Palfrey (Fabyan) Cooke 1930, ’32, ’34-35, ’37-41; Martina Navratilova 1977-78, ’80, ’83-84, ’86-87, ’89-90
7 – Juliette Atkinson 1894-98, 1901-02

 

 

 Other Classic US Open Final Videos

1992 US Open Final
Lendl Vs Becker

1985 US Open Final
Highlights Mens and Womens From USTA