The US Open is the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year, and one of the biggest events in the tennis calendar. Held in New York in late August to early September each year, it attracts the best tennis players in the world, fighting it out over a two week period to be crowned US Open champion – and leave with a big stack of prize money and ranking points.
The 2024 U.S. Open
The main draw of the 2024 US Open tennis tournament takes place from 26th August to 8th September at the USTA National Tennis Center in New York.
Latest from the US Open…
History of the US Open
The U.S. Open is one of the world’s longest running tennis tournaments, first played 143 years ago in 1881. Since then, it has been played every year in the United States, but the event has changed significantly over that time.
Newport, Rhode Island was the first host of the US Open for the first 34 years of the tournament. There, it was played on grass courts (at the same venue where the Hall of Fame ATP 250 is now played). It looked very different to today’s US Open, however – the previous winner would automatically qualify for the next year’s final, for example.
From 1915 through to 1977, the tournament was largely played in New York, at the West Side Tennis Club. It was during this time that the US Open became recognized as a major international tournament in 1924, and began allowing professional players in 1968. There was also a shift to playing the event on clay, and having matches under lights as well.
Since 1978, the US Open has been played at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York. It switched to hard court at this stage, and has remained so ever since.
US Open Venue and Attendance
The US Open venue is a sight to behold. There are a total of 34 courts at the USTA National Tennis Center, 22 of which are for matches, and 12 that are used as practice courts.
The show courts are as follows:
- Arthur Ashe Stadium – 23,771 capacity
- Louis Armstrong Stadium – 14,061 capacity
- The Grandstand – 8,125 capacity
- Court 17 – 2,800 capacity
Of these, the Arthur Ashe Stadium is the only one to have a retractable roof, but all 22 match courts have lights and allow for night matches. The surface of all courts is currently supplied by ‘Laykold’, and are painted ‘US Open blue’.
The US Open consistently attracts well over a half a million spectators during its two weeks of play. In 2023, a new attendance record was set, with 957,387 spectators through the Flushing Meadows gates.
What is the US Open Prize Money?
The US Open consistently has the largest prize money pool in all of tennis. In 2024, the total purse will be up 15% from the year before, sitting at a record $75 million. Of this, here’s a quick breakdown of the prize money allocation:
- $3.6 million to men’s and women’s singles champions
- $750,000 to doubles champions (per team)
- $200,000 for mixed doubles champions (per team)
- $100,000 for making the round of 128
Ranking Points
As a Grand Slam, big ranking points are up for grabs at the US Open as well. Here’s a look at how these are allocated:
- Champion – 2000 points
- Runner up – 1300 points
- Semi-finalist – 800 points
- Quarter-finalist – 400 points
- Round of 16 – 200 points
- Third round – 100 points
- Second round – 50 points
- First round – 10 points
- Qualifying – 30 points
Past US Open Champions
Here’s a look back at who has found success in New York over the past five years in all events:
Men’s Singles US Open Champions
- 2019 – Rafael Nadal
- 2020 – Dominic Thiem
- 2021 – Daniil Medvedev
- 2022 – Carlos Alcaraz
- 2023 – Novak Djokovic (see video below)
Women’s Singles US Open Champions
- 2019 – Bianca Andreescu
- 2020 – Naomi Osaka
- 2021 – Emma Raducanu
- 2022 – Iga Swiatek
- 2023 – Coco Gauff
Men’s Doubles US Open Champions
- 2019 – Sebastian Cabal/Farah
- 2020 – Pavic/Soares
- 2021 – Ram/Salisbury
- 2022 – Ram/Salisbury
- 2023 – Ram/Salisbury
Women’s Doubles US Open Champions
- 2019 – Mertens/Sabalenka
- 2020 – Siegemund/Zvonareva
- 2021 – Stosur/Shuai
- 2022 – Krejcikova/Siniakova
- 2023 – Dabrowski/Routliffe
Mixed Doubles US Open Champions
- 2019 – Mattek-Sands/Murray
- 2020 – No competition
- 2021 – Krawczyk/Salisbury
- 2022 – Sanders/Peers
- 2023 – Danilina/Heliovaara
US Open Records
Here are a few records related to the US Open:
- Jimmy Connors is the only person to have won the US Open on all three surfaces
- Pete Sampras has played in the most men’s US Open finals (eight) while Chris Evert has contested the most women’s finals (nine) in the open era
- Martina Navratilova has played in the most consecutive US Opens, competing in 21 straight events between 1973-1993
- Roger Federer, Jimmy Connors and Pete Sampras have won the most men’s US Open titles (five) in the open era
- Chris Evert and Serena Williams have won the most women’s US Open titles (six) in the open era
- The youngest singles champion at the US Open was Tracy Austin, who won the women’s singles when she was 16 years and eight months old
What is Fan Week at the US Open?
Fan Week takes place the week before the US Open begins, and is the perfect way for tennis fans to get immersed in Grand Slam tennis. It’s completely free, and is an opportunity for fans to watch their favorite players practice, have meet and greets, and engage in many other tennis-oriented events ahead of the tournament proper commencing.
Each day of Fan Week has an itinerary with planned, free events that fans can attend, such as parties, big names practicing and kids day.
Interesting Facts About the US Open
Before we leave, here are some interesting facts you might not know about the US Open:
- The US Open’s signature drink is the Honey Deuce, a cocktail made with vodka which can be purchased for $23 that comes with a collectible cup
- The US Open is the only Grand Slam that has been played every year since it was founded
- The US Open was the first Grand Slam to pay both men and women equally, first doing so in 1973–other Grand Slams only adopted equal pay as late as 2007
- The US Open became the first Grand Slam to have night matches, way back in 1975
