US OPEN GRAND SLAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

The U.S Open is held annually during August/September over a two-week period at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York City. The main tournament consists of five different event championships: men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles, with additional tournaments for senior, junior, and wheelchair players.

The US Open differs from the other three Grand Slam tournaments in that there are final-set tiebreaks. In the other three tournaments, the fifth set for men and the third set for women continue until someone wins by two games.

The tournament was first held in August 1881 at the Newport Casino, Newport, Rhode Island and in that first year only clubs that were members of the United States National Lawn Tennis Association were permitted to enter. From 1884 through 1911, the tournament used a challenge system whereby the defending champion automatically qualified for the next year's final.

The main court is located at the 24,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium, named after Arthur Ashe, the African American tennis player who won the men's final of the inaugural US Open in 1968. (In that same year, British player Virginia Wade won the first women's US Open final.) The next largest court is Louis Armstrong Stadium, which was the main stadium until the completion of Arthur Ashe stadium. The third largest court is the Grandstand Stadium, which is attached to the Louis Armstrong Stadium. Sidecourts 4, 7, and 11 each have a seating capacity of over 1,000.

US Open Winner's Archive