History Of The US Open Tennis Championship

The US Open Tennis Championship began as a competition between men and was called the  US National Singles Championship. The first competition took place in Newport , Rhode Island in 1881 at the Newport Casino. Singles and doubles competitons were held.

After being held for 7 years in Newport, the tournament began moving around to different locations in the USA.

In 1887, at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, the first Ladies US National Singles Championships were held. Ladies doubles was added two years later and, after another three years, a mixed doubles championship was added.

The men's tournament moved to Forest Hills in 1915. By 1935, both the Mens and Ladies tournaments were played at Forest Hills. But, it wasn't until 1968 that the Mens and Ladies tournaments took place at the same time. In 1978, the tournament moved to its current home at the US NATIONAL TENNIS CENTER in Flushing Meadows.

In 1970, the US Open became the first grand slam event to use the new tie break system after a  match in which it took  F.D. Robbins 100 games to defeat Dick Dell. The tie break system takes place if a set reaches 6 games all. Then, the playesr play a tiebreak in which the first player to get to 7 points, with at least a 2 point advantage, wins. 

In 1973, the US Open became the first grand slam tournament to offer equal prize money for both the men and the women.

The US Open has been played on all three of the surfaces that are seen on the professional tennis tour. The tournament was always played on grass up until 1975 when American green clay was brought in. The clay court lasted just 4 years and then the tournament was moved to the hard courts at the NATIONAL TENNIS CENTER in Flushing Meadows where it has remained to this day.

In 1975, lights were added making the US Open the first grand slam to have play at night.