13 Interesting Facts About the US Open

The 2021 US Open will be the 141^st edition of tennis US Open and the fourth and final grand slam event of the year. Here’s 13 Interesting Facts about the US Open

1. 2021 US Open offers recode prize money, $57.5 million in total player compensation
2. Arthur Ashe won the first US Open as an amateur and the main stadium at the Billie Jean King USTA Tennis center is named after him. Virginia Wade won the women’s title.
3. Arthur Ashe stadium is the largest “tennis specific” stadium in the world. It seats 23,771 people.
4. The U.S. Open has been played on three different courts surfaces in its history. From 1881 to 1974, it was played on grass; from 1975 to 1977, on clay and since 1978 it’s been a hard-court surface — DecoTurf. The courts were made blue in 2007.
5. In 1975 the US Open became the first grand slam tourney to have night games.
6. The approximate number of ball boys and ball girls in a match at US Open is 80.
7. The official cocktail of the US Open is the Honey Deuce, a refreshing mix of Grey Goose Vodka, lemonade, Chambord and crushed ice topped with a frozen honeydew melon ball garnish.
8. Men and women receive an equal amount of prize money, a tradition started in 1973.This designated tennis as the first sport to award equal prize money to men and women.
9. Since 1987, Tiffany & Co. has been the official producer of the U.S. Open Trophy, weighing 10 pounds and 18 inches tall. The trophy is awarded to both the men’s and women’s singles champion.
10. The U.S. Open is the only Grand Slam event of the four to use a tiebreaker at 6-6 in the final set. However, Wimbledon recently decided to add a standard tiebreaker at 12-12 in the final set. The Australian Open and French Open still require a player to win by two games in the last set.
11. In 2001, Venus and Serena Williams became the first sisters to meet in a grand slam final at the US Open. The match lasted 69 minutes, with Venus winning 6-2, 6-4.
12. The youngest men’s singles champion in U.S. Open history is Pete Sampras, who was 19 years, 28 days old when he won the title in 1990, defeating Andre Agassi in straight sets. The youngest women’s singles champion is Tracy Austin at the 1979 U.S. Open where she beat Chris Evert to win the title at the age of 16 years and eight months.
13. Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer are tied with five U.S. Open men’s singles titles – the most in the Open Era. Both Chris Evert and Serena Williams have the most women’s singles titles with six each.