The US Open Tennis Championships, often referred to simply as the US Open, is an annual hardcourt tennis tournament organized by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) in Queens, New York City. It is the fourth and final Grand Slam event of the tennis calendar year, following the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon.
The tournament begins on the last Monday of August and runs for two weeks, with the middle weekend aligning with the United States Labor Day holiday. To compete, players must be at least fourteen years old.
One of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the event was originally known as the U.S. National Championships, with the first men’s singles and men’s doubles matches held in August 1881. The US Open is unique among the Grand Slam tournaments for having never been canceled due to World War I, World War II, or the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
West Side Tennis Club
In early 1915, a group of around 100 tennis players petitioned to relocate the national championships to New York City, arguing that most tennis clubs, players, and fans were concentrated in the area, which would benefit the sport’s development. This proposal faced opposition from another faction, including eight former national singles champions. The debate culminated in a vote at the annual USNLTA meeting on February 5, 1915, where the proposal to relocate was narrowly approved with 128 votes in favor and 119 against.
As a result, the men’s singles tournament was held for the first time at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York City, in August 1915. The women’s tournament initially remained at the Philadelphia Cricket Club in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, and was not moved until 1921. From 1917 to 1933, the men’s doubles event took place at the Longwood Cricket Club in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. In 1934, both the men’s and women’s doubles events were hosted at Longwood Cricket Club.
