USA Open History
The event was first held in August 1881, known then as the U.S. National Singles Championship for men. It was played at the Newport Casino, Newport, Rhode Island.
tennis tournament The first event was held at the Newport Casino in Rhode Island. Richard Sears won the inaugural men's singles title. The first women's singles event was held in 1887, and was won by Ellen Hansell.
From 1884-1911 for men and from 1887-1918 for women, a challenge round system (in which the defending champion qualified for the following year's final) was used. A five set women's final was played from 1887-1901.
The US Open was known as the Patriotic Tournament in 1917 during World War I.
Bill Tilden, often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, won the US Open seven times in the 1920s, including six consecutive titles from 1920 to 1925.
In 1957, Althea Gibson became the first African American player to win a Grand Slam title winning the women's singles championship, repeating her victory in 1958.
In 1968 and 1969 both Amateur and Open Championships were held, becoming an exclusively Open Championship in 1970.
Jimmy Connors dominated the US Open during the mid-1970s, winning five titles in five years. Around the same time in the women's events, Chris Evert, known as the "Ice Maiden," won a total of six US Open titles, including four consecutive titles from 1975 to 1978.
The late 1970s and early 1980s saw an intense rivalry between John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg, with each winning multiple US Open titles. Their memorable 1980 final, won by McEnroe, is considered one of the greatest matches in tennis history.
More recently, Roger Federer's incredible run at the US Open included five consecutive men's singles titles from 2004 to 2008.
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