The last
Grand Slam tournament of the year runs through the first two weeks of the month of September in the Big Apple. The weather is as unpredictable as the results are, packing a raincoat and sunglasses means being well prepared for anything. With expensive ticket prizes and regular celebrity sightings, it is no surprise that the US Open brings in more revenue than the Superbowl.
We’ve put a list together of some interesting facts about the US Open, some dating back to its inception in the 19
th century.
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The only Grand Slam to have been played on all surfaces
The U.S. Open is currently a hard court tournament however before the decision to play this Grand Slam tournament exclusively on this surface, it was played on all three surfaces. Jimmy Conors is the only player to have won this competition on all three surfaces (and his record will forever stand) and Chris Evert the only player to have won it on two of the three surfaces.
Tiffany and Co, makers of the trophy
The New York City-based luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co retailer is as appropriate a choice to design the U.S Open trophy as any, they’ve been designing it for over 2 decades now. This prestigious U.S Open trophy is not the only trophy they have been tasked to design, the NFL’s Vince Lombardi trophy (given to Super Bowl winners) is also hand-crafted by these premier jewelers. Over 60 trophies are made throughout the different stages of the competition and handed out as the competition progresses.
U.S Open Tie Breaker
As all Grand Slam tournaments (Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon) do not have a tie-breaker, the final set can go on and on and on…until someone wins by two games over their opponent. The U.S. Open is unique in that the final set of the fixture is decided via a tie-breaker when the score is 6-6. So if you have dinner reservations after the game, don’t cancel.
Night Games
The U.S Open has continued to change the landscape Grand Slam tournaments, In 1975, the U.S. Open became the first slam to play night games followed by followed by the Australian Open later on. In third place is Wimbledon who installed their night lights in 2012 along with a roof however the French Open has yet to install either. Over the years the U.S Open has been famously (or infamously) known for how rowdy the night games get adding to the - somewhat - uncultured and exciting atmosphere of this unique tournament.
Spoils shared equally
It would be no exaggeration to say the U.S Open is a trendsetter amongst other slams, adding to its long list of developments is its introduction of paying the same grand prize to female tennis players as their male counterparts. The custom started in 1973 after Billie Jean King declined to return to the Open if remuneration was not equal. The tournament eventually gave in and since then, both male and female winners took home the same purse.
Family Ties
In 2001, the Williams became the first sisters to meet each other in a Grand Slam final. This dual saw Venus defeat Serena in straight sets. The tide has changed since then, Serena won the next five major titles against Venus, and has dominated any meeting regardless of which stage of the tournament they have met in.
Arthur Ashe History
The Arthur Ashe stadium was named in honor of the first black player to participate in the Davis Cup for the United States.
Arthur Ashe later become a US Open Tennis Tournament champion in 1968.
Average ticket for the final of the US Open is $800 for women and $1000 for men. That is at least R 15,000 for a ticket depending on how good or bad the Rand is performing against the dollar.
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