The US Open began tournament play in 1881, making it one of the oldest championship tennis tournaments in the world. The first tournament – a men's only tournament – was held at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island in August of 1881. The championship event was known as U.S. National Singles Championship for men, and was attended solely by clubs that were members of the United States National Lawn Tennis Association, making the event a high society occasion.
The first U.S. Women's National Singles Championships were held six years after the men's tournament at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. The first mixed doubles championship tournament was held in concordance with the first women's singles and doubles tournament. The first U.S. National Men's Doubles Championship was held a year later, in 1900.
In 1968, the US Open tennis tournament we currently recognize was formed from the consolidation of all five predecessor tournaments. However, the 1968 tournament was open to professionals to compete, unlike the predecessor tournaments that did not allow professional tennis players to compete. The new US Open tennis tournament was held at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, Queens, and was played on a grass court. In 1970, the US Open was the first Grand Slam tennis tournament to implement the tie-break at the end of the match. In 1975, the US Open switched to hard clay courts. In 1978, the tournament moved to its current home in Flushing Meadows and the surface type changed again, this time to DecoTurf.
See Also:
US Open Tennis Preview History