US OPEN FLUSHING MEADOWS, USA AUG 29 - SEP 11 2016

TOURNAMENT INFO

TIER: Grand Slams
PRIZE MONEY: $0

SURFACE: Hard
DIRECTOR: David Brewer

Queens, New York, is the site of the tennis calendar's fourth and final Grand Slam, the US Open.

Although perceived by some to lack the history and tradition surrounding Wimbledon and the French Open, the inaugural US Open, then known as the United States National Championships, was staged way back in 1881 on the grass courts of the Newport Casino in Rhode Island.

Since then, the tournament has enjoyed a further three homes and two surface changes, taking in the Westside Tennis Club, the Germantown Cricket Club in Philadelphia before finally settling in its current locale, the grandiose USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows in 1978.

Early years saw an American dominance of the tournament, with only six players from outside the US capturing the title during the amateur era. This dominance continued as the Open Era was ushered in, with Billie Jean King, Tracy Austin and Martina Navratilova all victorious on multiple occasions.

However, none were more dominant than Chris Evert. Between 1975 and 1982, the all-time great triumphed in New York on a staggering six occasions, setting an Open Era record that was not equaled until Serena Williams did so in 2014.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the honor roll was given a cosmopolitan makeover, as Gabriela Sabatini, Monica Seles, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis were among those crowned, while recent years have seen 21st century stars such as Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters, Maria Sharapova and the Williams sisters follow in their footsteps. Navratilova has the Open Era doubles record with nine titles.