US Open (tennis) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
US Open

Official website: http://www.usopen.org/home/default.sps
Founded	1881, 143 years ago
Editions	144 (2024)
Location	New York City United States
Venue	USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (since 1978)
Surface	Hard – outdoors (since 1978) Clay – outdoors (1975–1977) Grass – outdoors (1881–1974)
Prize money	US$75,000,000 (2024)
Men's
Draw	S (128Q) / 64D (16Q)
Current champions	Jannik Sinner (singles) Max Purcell Jordan Thompson (doubles)
Most singles titles	7 Bill Tilden
Most doubles titles	6 Mike Bryan
Women's
Draw	S (128Q) / 64D (16Q)
Current champions	Aryna Sabalenka (singles) Lyudmyla Kichenok Jeļena Ostapenko (doubles)
Most singles titles	8 Molla Mallory
Most doubles titles	13 Margaret Osborne duPont
Mixed doubles
Draw	32
Current champions	Sara Errani Andrea Vavassori
Most titles (male)	4 Bill Tilden Bill Talbert Bob Bryan
Most titles (female)	9 Margaret Osborne duPont
Grand Slam
Australian Open French Open Wimbledon US Open
Last completed
2024 US Open

The US Open Tennis Championships, often called the US Open, is a big tennis tournament. It happens every year in Queens, New York City. Players compete on a hardcourt surface.

This tournament is the fourth and final of the four biggest tennis events, known as Grand Slams. The others are the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon.

The US Open usually starts on the last Monday of August and lasts for two weeks. All players must be at least 14 years old to join.

It's one of the oldest tennis championships in the world. It started in August 1881 as the U.S. National Championships. Unlike other major events, the US Open was never stopped by World War I, World War II, or the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The tournament has five main competitions: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles. There are also events for older players, younger players, and wheelchair players. Since 1978, the tournament has been held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City. The money earned from tickets, sponsors, and TV deals helps grow tennis in the United States. For example, the tournament has a special drink called the "honey deuce."

Since 2022, if a match reaches a 6-6 tie in the final set, an extended tiebreaker is played. In this tiebreaker, players need to score 10 points and win by at least two points. This rule helps make matches more consistent across all Grand Slams.

History of the US Open

Early Years: 1881–1914

The first tournament took place in August 1881. It was played on grass courts at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island. This place is now home to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Only tennis clubs that were part of the United States National Lawn Tennis Association (USNLTA) could enter.

Richard Sears won the men's singles title that year. He went on to win seven titles in a row! For many years, the champion from the previous year would automatically play in the next year's final.

At first, only men played in the U.S. National Championships (1881-1886). The first U.S. Women's National Singles Championship happened in 1887 in Philadelphia. A 17-year-old named Ellen Hansell won it.

Over time, more events were added. The US Mixed Doubles Championship started in 1892, and the US Women's National Doubles Championship began in 1899.

Moving to Forest Hills: 1915–1977

In 1915, the tournament moved to the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, Queens, New York City. Many players believed that moving the tournament to New York City would help tennis grow, as most players and fans were in that area. After a close vote, the move happened.

The men's singles tournament moved to Forest Hills in 1915. However, the women's tournament stayed in Philadelphia until 1921. The men's and women's doubles events also moved around to different locations for several years before settling at the West Side Tennis Club.

In 1924, the International Lawn Tennis Federation officially recognized the US Open as one of the world's major tournaments. In 1922, players were seeded for the first time. This meant top players wouldn't play each other too early in the tournament.

The Open Era Begins

The Open Era started in 1968. This was a big change because professional tennis players were finally allowed to compete in the Grand Slam tournaments. Before this, only amateur players could join. In 1968, 96 men and 63 women played, and the total prize money was $100,000.

In 1970, the US Open was the first Grand Slam to use a tiebreaker to decide a set that was tied at 6-6. In 1973, it also became the first Grand Slam to give equal prize money to men and women. The singles champions, John Newcombe and Margaret Court, each won $25,000.

From 1975 to 1977, the tournament was played on clay instead of grass. This was an experiment to make it better for TV. Also, floodlights were added, allowing matches to be played at night.

The USTA National Tennis Center: Since 1978

Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2010, before its roof was added.

In 1978, the tournament moved to a new, bigger place: the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens. At the same time, the court surface changed from clay to hardcourt. Jimmy Connors is the only male player to win US Open singles titles on all three surfaces (grass, clay, and hardcourt). Chris Evert is the only woman to win on two surfaces (clay and hardcourt).

The US Open is special because it has been played every single year since it began.

In 2006, the complex was renamed the "USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center." This honored Billie Jean King, a four-time US Open singles champion and a pioneer for women's tennis.

For many years, the women's final was played on Saturday between the two men's semifinals. This was called "Super Saturday." Later, the women's final was moved to prime time (evening) to get more TV viewers. Now, it's usually played in the late afternoon.

From 2008 to 2012, the men's final was often moved to Monday because of bad weather. In 2013 and 2014, the organizers intentionally scheduled it for Monday to give players more rest. Since 2015, the tournament has returned to having the women's and men's finals on Saturday and Sunday, like other Grand Slams.

In 2018, the US Open was the first Grand Slam to use a "shot clock." This clock helps make sure players don't take too long between points. It's visible to players, umpires, and fans. Now, all Grand Slams use this technology.

In 2020, the tournament was held without fans because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was done to keep everyone safe.

The US Open Grounds

Arthur Ashe Stadium with its roof closed in 2018.

The US Open has 22 outdoor courts, plus 12 practice courts. There are four main "show courts": Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium, the Grandstand, and Court 17.

The biggest court is the Arthur Ashe Stadium, which holds 23,771 people. It opened in 1997. In 2016, a roof was added that can open and close. The stadium is named after Arthur Ashe, who won the first US Open men's singles title in 1968.

The next largest court is the Louis Armstrong Stadium, which seats 14,061 people and opened in 2018. The third largest is the 8,125-seat Grandstand. Court 17, with 2,800 seats, is known as "The Pit" because its playing surface is sunk 8 feet into the ground.

All the courts at the US Open have lights. This means matches can be played and shown on TV even at night.

Court Surface

From 1978 to 2019, the US Open used a hardcourt surface called Pro DecoTurf. It's a cushioned surface that the International Tennis Federation calls "medium-fast." Every August, before the tournament starts, the courts are resurfaced. Since 2020, the new court surface supplier is Laykold.

Since 2005, all US Open courts have been painted a special shade of blue inside the lines. This "US Open Blue" makes it easier for everyone to see the ball. The area outside the lines is still "US Open Green."

Line Call Challenges

In 2006, the US Open started using instant replay to review line calls. This was the first Grand Slam to use the Hawk-Eye computer system. This system helps make sure calls are fair. It was added after a controversial match in 2004 where some important calls were wrong.

At first, Hawk-Eye was only on the main courts. By 2018, all competition courts had it. Players were allowed three incorrect challenges per set. In 2021, player challenges were removed because the tournament fully adopted "Hawk-Eye Live." This means all line calls are made electronically by the computer system.

Prize Money

The total prize money for the 2023 US Open was $65 million. This is the biggest prize money package of all Grand Slams and the largest in the tournament's history.

Here's a look at the prize money for different events:

The prize money for singles players is the largest part of the total. Doubles teams share their prize money. The tournament also helps players with travel, hotel costs, and meal allowances.

Champions

Current Champions

These are the winners from the most recent US Open in 2024:

Most Recent Finals

Here are the results from the 2024 US Open finals:

2024 Event	Champion	Runner-up	Score
Men's singles	Jannik Sinner	Taylor Fritz	6–3, 6–4, 7–5
Women's singles	Aryna Sabalenka	Jessica Pegula	7–5, 7–5
Men's doubles	Max Purcell Jordan Thompson	Kevin Krawietz Tim Pütz	6–4, 7–6(7–4)
Women's doubles	Lyudmyla Kichenok Jeļena Ostapenko	Kristina Mladenovic Zhang Shuai	6–4, 6–3
Mixed doubles	Sara Errani Andrea Vavassori	Taylor Townsend Donald Young	7–6(7–0), 7–5

US Open Records

Richard Sears, who holds a record for most men's singles titles.

Bill Larned, another record holder for men's singles titles.

Bill Tilden, who also holds a record for men's singles titles.

Molla Mallory, the record holder for most women's singles titles.

Record	Era	Player(s)	Count	Years
Men's Records (since 1881)
Most singles titles	Amateur Era	Richard Sears	7	1881–87
		William Larned		1901–02, 1907–11
		Bill Tilden		1920–25, 1929
	Open Era	Jimmy Connors	5	1974, 1976, 1978, 1982–83
		Pete Sampras		1990, 1993, 1995–96, 2002
		Roger Federer		2004–08
Most consecutive singles titles	Amateur Era	Richard Sears	7	1881–87
	Open Era	Roger Federer	5	2004–08
Most doubles titles	Amateur Era	Richard Sears	6	1882–84, 1886–87 with James Dwight 1885 with Joseph Clark
		Holcombe Ward		1899–1901 with Dwight F. Davis 1904–06 with Beals Wright
	Open Era	Mike Bryan	6	2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 with Bob Bryan 2018 with Jack Sock
Most consecutive doubles titles	Amateur Era	Richard Sears	7	1881–87
	Open Era	Rajeev Ram	3	2021–23
		Joe Salisbury		2021–23
Most mixed doubles titles	Amateur Era	Edwin P. Fischer	4	1894–96 with Juliette Atkinson 1898 with Carrie Neely
		Wallace F. Johnson		1907 with May Sayers 1909, 1911, 1915 with Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman
		Bill Tilden		1913–14 with Mary Browne 1922–23 with Molla Mallory
		Bill Talbert		1943–46 with Margaret Osborne duPont
	Open Era	Owen Davidson		1966 with Donna Floyd 1967, 1971, 1973 with Billie Jean King
		Marty Riessen		1969–70, 1972 with Margaret Court 1980 with Wendy Turnbull
		Bob Bryan		2003 with Katarina Srebotnik 2004 with Vera Zvonareva 2006 with Martina Navratilova 2010 with Liezel Huber
Most Championships (singles, doubles & mixed doubles)	Amateur Era	Bill Tilden	16	1913–29 (7 singles, 5 doubles, 4 mixed doubles)
	Open Era	Bob Bryan	9	2003–14 (5 doubles, 4 mixed doubles)
Women's Records (since 1887)
Most singles titles	Amateur Era	/ Molla Mallory	8	1915–18, 1920–22, 1926
	Open Era	Chris Evert	6	1975–78, 1980, 1982
		Serena Williams		1999, 2002, 2008, 2012–14
Most consecutive singles titles	Amateur Era	/ Molla Mallory	4	1915–18
		Helen Jacobs		1932–35
	Open Era	Chris Evert	4	1975–78
Most doubles titles	Amateur Era	Margaret Osborne duPont	13	1941 with Sarah Palfrey Cooke 1942–50, 1955–57 with Louise Brough
	Open Era	Martina Navratilova	9	1977 with Betty Stöve 1978, 1980 with Billie Jean King 1983–84, 1986–87 with Pam Shriver 1989 with Hana Mandlíková 1990 with Gigi Fernández
Most consecutive doubles titles	Amateur Era	Margaret Osborne duPont	10	1941 with Sarah Palfrey Cooke 1942–50 with Louise Brough
	Open Era	Virginia Ruano Pascual	3	2002–04
		Paola Suárez		2002–04
Most mixed doubles titles	Amateur Era	Margaret Osborne duPont	9	1943–46 with Bill Talbert 1950 with Ken McGregor 1956 with Ken Rosewall 1958–60 with Neale Fraser
	Open Era	Margaret Court	3	1969–70, 1972 with Marty Riessen
		Billie Jean King		1971, 1973 with Owen Davidson 1976 with Phil Dent
		Martina Navratilova		1985 with Heinz Günthardt 1987 with Emilio Sánchez 2006 with Bob Bryan
Most Championships (singles, doubles & mixed doubles)	Amateur Era	Margaret Osborne duPont	25	1941–60 (3 singles, 13 doubles, 9 mixed doubles)
	Open Era	Martina Navratilova	16	1977–2006 (4 singles, 9 doubles, 3 mixed doubles)
Other Records
Unseeded champions	Men	Andre Agassi	1994
	Women	Kim Clijsters Sloane Stephens Emma Raducanu	2009 2017 2021
Youngest singles champion	Men	Pete Sampras	19 years and 1 month (1990)
	Women	Tracy Austin	16 years and 8 months (1979)
Oldest singles champion	Men	William Larned	38 years and 8 months (1911)
	Women	/ Molla Mallory	42 years and 5 months (1926)

Media and Attendance

Watching the US Open

The US Open website lets you watch live tennis matches. It also offers live radio coverage.

In the United States

ESPN has been in charge of showing the US Open on TV since 2015. They use ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC channels for broadcasts. You can also watch matches from other courts on ESPN+.

Around the World

Many TV channels and streaming services show the US Open in different countries. For example:

• Europe: Eurosport
• Latin America: ESPN International
• UK and Ireland: Prime Video (until 2022), Sky Sports (from 2023)
• Australia: Nine Network and Stan Sport
• Canada: TSN and RDS

How Many People Attend?

The US Open attracts a huge number of fans each year. Here's how many people attended in recent years:

Sources: US Open, City University of New York (CUNY)

See also

In Spanish: Abierto de Estados Unidos para niños

• List of US Open singles finalists during the Open Era, records and statistics