Interesting facts about the US Open
The US Open is the fourth and possibly the most anticipated championship which completes the Grand Slam series along with the French, Australian and Wimbledon Championships. It is played in the month of August and September on hard courts and has the distinction of using the final-set tie breaks invented by James Van Allen in 1965.
The Australian Open, Wimbledon and the French Open continue the game in the decider until one player gains a two-game advantage. On the contrary, the US Open launches a tiebreak set to determine the winner. This ensures that the US Open matches are more exciting.
Like every other tournament, the US Open has a remarkable history, spanning over a period of approximately 125 years. Some of the noteworthy instances in the history of this championship are chronicled as follows.
Longest Match Played – In 1992, Stefan Edberg defeated Michael Chang in a record-breaking match which lasted for 5 hours and 26 minutes. Stefan Edberg is a former World number 1 from Sweden. He was the first-ever junior player to win all four Grand Slams and achieve the Junior Grand Slam tournament as well. He went on to win six Grand Slam titles in his career. Earlier in his career, American tennis ace Michael Chang was best known for his win against Stefan Edberg in 1989 at the age of just 17, hence becoming the youngest ever male player to win a Grand Slam title.
Greatest Attendance – In 2001, the US Open gathered the largest crowd in attendance for any tournament played in tennis history. Although this statistic has not been verified or confirmed by Guinness records, but according to The United States Tennis Association, the attendance that year was estimated to have been over 639,000 in just two weeks.
Equal Prize Money – The US Open is the first Grand Slam to award the same amount of prize money to both men and women. In 1973, Margaret Smith Court and John Newcombe both won a quarter of a million dollars. This year, the prize money for the winner not only includes a $1.1 million monetary reward but a brand new 2006 Lexus GS 430 as well.
The Arthur Ashe Stadium – Arthur Ashe was the first Black American to win the US Open Championship. He remains the only African American man to win this title to date. In 1968, Arthur Ashe won the inaugural match of the US Open tournament and consequently, the main stadium was named after him which remains so to this day.
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center – In 2006, the sports complex used for the US Open was rededicated to Billie Jean King. King is a former women’s champion with 12 Grand Slam singles titles to her credit. She is widely known for her Battle of the Sexes match against Bobby Riggs in 1973, where she became the only woman to defeat a man in a formal match. This USTA Center is the most esteemed complex to be named after a woman.
The Trophy – Although the US Open trophy is one of the most extravagant trophies in the Grand Slams, made out of sterling silver and standing almost 20 inches in height, 16 inches across in width and 7 inches in diameter, it’s not worth much to any player. That’s because every champion takes an exact replica home. There is only one original which is housed in New York and the champions’ names are engraved on it by Tiffany’s each year.
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