The US Open Tennis Guide: History, Arthur Ashe Stadium and Why It's Different

Loud crowds, night matches and the biggest tennis stadium on Earth. Here is why the US Open is the most American of the four Grand Slams.

By ForTheFans Staff

Published Oct 22, 2026 · 2 min read

Wimbledon has the strawberries and the all-white dress code. The US Open has something else entirely: noise, lights and a New York crowd that treats a fifth-set tiebreak like a playoff game. Here is what makes the final Grand Slam of the year special.

A Tournament Older Than the Modern Game

The event began in 1881 as the U.S. National Championships, played on grass courts in Newport, Rhode Island. It later moved to Forest Hills in Queens, became "open" to professionals in 1968, and moved to its current home in Flushing Meadows in 1978.

Along the way it changed surfaces: grass until 1974, clay from 1975 to 1977 and hard courts ever since. That makes the US Open the only major to be played on all three surfaces.

Arthur Ashe Stadium

The centerpiece is Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest tennis stadium in the world with seating for roughly 23,000 fans. It added a retractable roof in 2016, so rain no longer wipes out the schedule on the main court. Louis Armstrong Stadium also has a roof, and the grounds include dozens of outer courts where fans can watch top players up close in the early rounds.

Night Sessions

The US Open is famous for its night sessions. Under the lights in Ashe, with a packed and loud crowd, matches often stretch past midnight. Many of the tournament's most memorable moments have come long after the sun went down.

Tiebreak Trailblazer

In 1970 the US Open became the first major to use the tiebreak to decide sets. Today, all four majors use the same rule in the final set: at 6-6, players play a first-to-10 tiebreak (win by two). Learn the basics in our tennis scoring guide.

Equal Prize Money Since 1973

In 1973, the US Open became the first Grand Slam to offer equal prize money to men and women, thanks in large part to the advocacy of Billie Jean King. The other majors eventually followed, and the tennis center now carries her name.

Technology on Every Court

The US Open replaced line judges with electronic line calling across its courts, using a live camera system to call balls in or out instantly. It is part of a wider shift across tennis that we explain in our guide to electronic line calling.

Tips for Going in Person

Grounds passes in the first week are the best value, with access to outer courts and practice courts.
Arrive early to watch practice sessions, which are often packed with stars.
Take the 7 train to Mets-Willets Point. It is faster than driving.

Want the bigger picture? Read our breakdown of all four tennis Grand Slams.

Background from Wikipedia

US Open (tennis)

The US Open Tennis Championships, commonly called the US Open (stylized in all lowercase), is a hardcourt tennis tournament organized by the United States Tennis Association annually in Queens, New York City. It is chronologically the fourth and final of the four Grand Slam tennis events, held after the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon.

The US Open starts on the Sunday immediately preceding the last Monday of August and continues for two weeks, with the middle weekend coinciding with the United States Labor Day holiday. All players participating must be at least fourteen years old.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the US Open played?

At the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York. The tournament has been played there since 1978.

What surface is the US Open played on?

Hard courts. The US Open has been played on hard courts since moving to Flushing Meadows in 1978, after earlier eras on grass and on clay.

When is the US Open held?

The US Open is the final Grand Slam of the season, played over two weeks from late August into early September.