US Open Tennis: Fun Facts and History

Traditionally, the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year, the U.S. Open is scheduled for the last Monday of August and runs 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, which weighs 10 pounds and stands 18 inches tall. The trophy is awarded to both the men's and women's singles champions.

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 U.S. 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 milestone began in 1973 when Billie Jean King threatened to boycott the event.

Arthur Ashe was the only African American male to win the U.S. 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 U.S. Open is the only Grand Slam event of the four to use a tiebreaker at 6-6 in the final set. However, Wimbledon recently decided to add a standard tiebreaker at 12-12 in the final set. The Australian Open and French Open still require a player to win by two games in the final set.

The youngest men's singles champion in U.S. Open history is Pete Sampras, who was 19 years and 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, who won at the 1979 U.S. Open by defeating Chris Evert at the age of 16 years and eight months.

The U.S. Open has been played on three different court surfaces throughout its history. From 1881 to 1974, it was played on grass; from 1975 to 1977, on clay; and since 1978, it has been played on a hard-court surface—DecoTurf. The courts were painted blue in 2007.

The 2006 U.S. Open became the first of the majors to allow players to challenge line calls via the Hawk-Eye system.

The Honey Deuce is known as the official cocktail of the U.S. Open. The mixture includes Grey Goose Vodka, lemonade, Chambord liqueur, and ice, garnished with four honeydew melon balls.

Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, and Roger Federer are tied with five U.S. Open men's singles titles—the most in the Open Era. Both Chris Evert and Serena Williams hold the most women's singles titles with six each.