US Open (tennis) facts for kids

This page is about the tennis tournament. For other uses, see U.S. Open.

Quick facts for kids
US Open
Men's

Official website: http://www.usopen.org/home/default.sps
Founded	1881, 145 years ago
Editions	146 (2026)
Location	Queens, 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$108,000,000 (2026)
Draw	S (128Q) / 64D (16Q)
Current champions	Alexander Zverev (singles) Christian Harrison Neal Skupski (doubles)
Most singles titles	7 William Larned, Richard Sears, Bill Tilden
Most doubles titles	6 Mike Bryan
Women's
Draw	S (128Q) / 64D (16Q)
Current champions	Elena Rybakina (singles) Kateřina Siniaková Taylor Townsend (doubles)
Most singles titles	8 Molla Mallory
Most doubles titles	13 Margaret Osborne duPont
Mixed doubles
Draw	16
Current champions	Karolína Muchová Jakub Menšík
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
2026 US Open

The US Open Tennis Championships, commonly known simply as the US Open, is a world-famous tennis tournament. It takes place every year in Queens, New York City. The event is organized by the United States Tennis Association (USTA).

It is the fourth and final major tournament in the annual Grand Slam series. The other three major tournaments are the Australian Open, the French Open, and the Wimbledon.

The competition starts in late August and lasts for two weeks. It features exciting contests across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles divisions. Matches are played on outdoor hard surfaces known as hardcourts.

History of the US Open Tennis Championships
Tournament Grounds and Modern Court Technology
Rules, Ranking Points, and Prize Money
Champions and Historic Records
- Famous Records and Milestones
- Champions of the 2026 US Open
Tournament Atmosphere and Fan Experience
Images for kids
See Also

History of the US Open Tennis Championships

Early Years in Newport (1881–1914)

Semifinal at the 1890 U.S. Tennis Championships in Newport, Rhode Island.

The tournament began in August 1881 on lawn courts at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island. During the early days, it was called the U.S. National Championships. Only tennis clubs that belonged to the national tennis association could enter.

Richard Sears won the first men's singles event. He went on to capture seven titles in a row. In those early years, defending champions waited in the final round while all other players competed for the right to face them.

Women began playing their own national singles championship in 1887 at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. Ellen Hansell, who was only 17 years old, won the first women's title. Doubles and mixed doubles tournaments were added over the next several years.

Move to Forest Hills (1915–1977)

In 1915, tennis organizers voted to move the championship to the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, Queens, New York. Many players wanted the event closer to a major city with more tennis fans.

A massive concrete stadium seating 14,000 people opened at Forest Hills in 1924. That same year, the International Lawn Tennis Federation recognized the event as one of the major world championships.

The tournament made tennis history by trying new ideas to improve the sport:

In 1970, it became the first Grand Slam to use a tiebreaker to shorten long sets.
In 1973, it became the first major tennis tournament to award equal prize money to both male and female champions.
In 1975, organizers replaced natural grass courts with clay courts and added bright lights for evening matches.

The Modern Open Era

The Open Era started in 1968. Before that date, only amateur athletes were allowed to compete. In 1968, professional athletes could play alongside amateurs for prize money.

Arthur Ashe won the first men's singles title of the Open Era. He made history as the first Black man to win the tournament.

Modern Era at Flushing Meadows (1978–Present)

Arthur Ashe Stadium, the main arena of the tournament.

In 1978, the tournament moved to the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens. It swapped soft clay surfaces for fast, durable hardcourts.

In 2006, the facility was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. This honor recognized Billie Jean King, a tennis legend who worked hard for equal rights in sports.

The tournament added wheelchair tennis divisions in 2005. A retractable roof was built over the main stadium in 2016 to prevent rain delays.

Tournament Grounds and Modern Court Technology

Main Stadiums and Facilities

Arthur Ashe Stadium with its massive retractable roof closed during play.

The tournament grounds feature 22 outdoor courts, along with practice courts:

Arthur Ashe Stadium: The primary show court seats 23,771 spectators. It is the largest tennis stadium in the world and features a retractable roof.
Louis Armstrong Stadium: The second-largest arena seats 14,061 fans and includes its own moving roof.
The Grandstand: A modern open arena located in the southwest corner with seating for 8,125 people.
Court 17: Known as "The Pit" because its court floor is sunken eight feet into the ground, seating 2,800 spectators.

Every court on site is equipped with bright lights. This allows matches to run late into the warm summer night.

Court Surfaces and Colors

From 1978 through 2019, matches were played on an acrylic surface called DecoTurf. In 2020, the event switched to Laykold cushioned hardcourts.

Since 2005, the inner area of every court is painted a special shade called "US Open Blue." The surrounding out-of-bounds area is painted dark green. This sharp color contrast makes it much easier for players, referees, and television viewers to track the fast yellow ball.

High-Tech Line Calling

In 2006, the tournament introduced the Hawk-Eye computer camera system. This let players challenge human line calls when they believed a ball was incorrectly called out.

The tournament changed to Hawk-Eye Live technology in 2021. Computer systems now monitor the court lines automatically and announce calls instantly. In 2023, video reviews were added so referees can inspect double bounces and touch fouls.

Rules, Ranking Points, and Prize Money

Competition Format

The main draw includes 128 players in men's singles and 128 players in women's singles. Matches are played in an elimination bracket. If a player loses a single match, they are knocked out of the tournament.

Men play matches that are decided by the best of five sets. Women play matches that are decided by the best of three sets. If a match reaches 6–6 in the final set, a 10-point tiebreaker is played to decide the winner.

World Ranking Points

Professional tennis players earn ranking points by performing well in the tournament. The champions receive 2,000 ranking points toward their world tour rankings:

Event	Winner	Finalist	Semifinal	Quarterfinal	Round of 16
Men's Singles	2000	1300	800	400	200
Women's Singles	2000	1300	780	430	240

Player Prize Money

The US Open provides massive financial rewards for competitors. In 2026, total player compensation reached an all-time record of $108 million.

The men's and women's singles champions each collected a record first-place prize of $5.5 million. Even players who lose in the first round of the main draw earn $140,000. These funds help athletes pay for coaches, equipment, travel, and training costs.

Champions and Historic Records

The men's singles trophy on display at the championship final.

Famous Records and Milestones

Most Men's Singles Titles: Richard Sears, William Larned, and Bill Tilden each won 7 titles during the amateur era. In the Open Era, Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, and Roger Federer share the record with 5 titles each.
Most Women's Singles Titles: Molla Mallory won 8 titles between 1915 and 1926. In the Open Era, Chris Evert and Serena Williams hold the record with 6 titles each.
Youngest Singles Champions: Pete Sampras won the men's singles tournament in 1990 at age 19. Tracy Austin captured the women's singles title in 1979 at just 16 years and 8 months old.
Triple Surface Champion: Jimmy Connors is the only tennis player in history to win singles titles on grass, clay, and hard surfaces.

Champions of the 2026 US Open

Event	Champion	Runner-up	Score
Men's singles	Alexander Zverev	Ben Shelton	6–3, 7–6^(7–2), 5–7, 6–2
Women's singles	Elena Rybakina	Aryna Sabalenka	6–4, 5–7, 6–2
Men's doubles	Christian Harrison Neal Skupski	Kevin Krawietz Tim Pütz	6–4, 7–6^(8–6)
Women's doubles	Kateřina Siniaková Taylor Townsend	Ashlyn Krueger Robin Montgomery	5–7, 6–0, 6–2
Mixed doubles	Karolína Muchová Jakub Menšík	Belinda Bencic Flavio Cobolli	6–3, 1–6, [10–6]

Tournament Atmosphere and Fan Experience

The US Open is famous for its energetic, high-volume crowds. While traditional events like Wimbledon emphasize quiet lawns, the atmosphere in New York is loud and festive.

More than one million fans visit the tennis center over the course of the tournament. Celebrities, musicians, and young athletes regularly sit courtside to watch world-class rallies. Night matches inside Arthur Ashe Stadium are known for being electric and exciting.

Young tennis fans can attend Arthur Ashe Kids' Day on the opening weekend. The day features interactive tennis clinics, games with famous athletes, and live musical performances.