A History of Major Changes at the US Open

The sport of tennis consists of four major tournaments, including the US Open. The tournament is played on hard courts at the United States Tennis Association Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York. However, the tournament has been played on different surfaces and in different venues over the years.

As has been reported, the tournament’s history extends back to the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island, where the US National Championship was held on grass from 1881 to 1914. The tournament was exclusive to men — the US Women’s National Singles Championship was established at the Philadelphia Cricket Club in 1887.

The tournament’s connection to New York was established early on — the men’s doubles events were held at the Staten Island Cricket Club in 1888 and 1889. In 1915, the tournament relocated to the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills. This would remain the tournament’s home until 1977, but the event would undergo several key changes during the interim.

One of the biggest changes came in 1924, when the International Lawn Tennis Federation officially recognized the US National Championships as a major tournament. In 1968, the US Open joined the other majors in entering the Open Era, meaning the event allowed both amateurs and professionals to enter the draw. Arthur Ashe, namesake of the tournament’s main court and the largest tennis court in the world, won the event as an amateur that year, defeating professional Tom Okker.

Seven years later, the US Open became the first major tournament to implement a tiebreak at six-games all, a rule that has been adopted at every professional tournament in the world. The US Open briefly transitioned to clay as a playing surface in 1975. The event was contested as a clay court tournament for three years before the event relocated to Flushing Meadows and rebranded itself as the sport’s premier outdoor hardcourt event.