Traditionally, the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year, the U.S. Open is scheduled on the last Monday of August and goes until the second Sunday of September.
The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is located in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in New York City. The facility is home to 22 hard courts, including 3 show courts: Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium, and Grandstand.
Here are some fun facts about the tournament:
Since 1987, Tiffany & Co. has been the official producer of the U.S. Open Trophy, weighing 10 pounds and 18 inches tall. The trophy is awarded to both the men’s and women’s singles champion.
In 1975, the U.S. Open became the first Grand Slam tournament to feature night matches.
In 2001, Venus and Serena Williams became the first sisters to meet in a grand slam final at the US Open. The match lasted 69 minutes, with Venus winning 6-2, 6-4.
Tennis became the first sport and the U.S. Open became the first Grand Slam to offer equal prize money to men and women. This all started in 1973 when Billie Jean King threatened to boycott the event.
Arthur Ashe was the only African American male to win the US Open in 1968. The Arthur Ashe stadium was completed in 1997, and included a roof in 2016. The stadium is the largest tennis stadium in the world, seating 23,771 people.
The youngest men's singles champion in U.S. Open history is Pete Sampras, who was 19 years, 28 days old when he won the title in 1990, defeating Andre Agassi in straight sets. The youngest women's singles champion is Tracy Austin at the 1979 U.S. Open where she beat Chris Evert to win the title at the age of 16 years and eight months.
The U.S. Open has been played on three different courts surfaces in its history. From 1881 to 1974, it was played on grass; from 1975 to 1977, on clay and since 1978 it’s been a hard-court surface. The courts were made blue in 2007.
The US Open's courts weren't always blue. The tournament introduced its now-iconic blue surface in 2005, replacing the previous green courts. One reason for the change was to make the yellow tennis ball easier to see for spectators and television viewers.
The 2006 US Open became the first Grand Slam tournament to allow players to challenge line calls using Hawk-Eye instant replay, paving the way for the electronic line-calling technology used today.
The Honey Deuce is the signature cocktail of the US Open. The drink combines Grey Goose vodka, lemonade and Chambord raspberry liqueur over ice, and is garnished with three honeydew melon balls made to look like tennis balls.
Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer share the Open Era record for the most US Open men’s singles titles with five each, while Chris Evert and Serena Williams share the women’s record with six each.
