Just so you know, this article is about tennis—because the same terminology also shows up in the world of golf. If that’s more your jam, you can visit my favorite website of all time—Wikipedia. The late-summer tournament I’m referring to is actually big enough to allow tennis to steal a tiny fraction of the airwaves away from football. But exactly what is the US Open? These 10 numbers will help put it together.
1881
The first year of the tournament, known then as the US National Championship. Competitions were held in men’s singles and men’s doubles in Newport, Rhode Island.
8.8 million
The population of New York City, the current host city. To be specific, the tournament is held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, located in a public park in the borough of Queens (population 2.4 million). There’s more about the whole USTA thing below.
5
The number of championships that are currently awarded (not including junior, senior, and wheelchair events). That’s men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles.
These competitions took place in various locations until 1968, when they were held as a unified event in Queens and took on the current name. That year was also the first time that professionals were allowed to compete, marking the beginning of what is called the Open Era.
1978
The year in which the tournament began to be played on hard courts. Grass courts had been the norm for years, followed by a brief appearance of clay courts before the change to the hard surface.
4
The number of yearly Grand Slam tournaments in professional tennis, a group to which the US Open belongs. Also included are the Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon (England), all of which precede the US Open in the calendar year. These tournaments—also called majors—are known for many things, including large amounts of media attention, prize money, and points awarded toward player rankings. They are overseen by the International Tennis Federation, and men’s matches are best-of-five sets as opposed to the usual best-of-three.
128
The number of men who qualify for the singles competition, whose single-elimination format means that seven consecutive wins are needed to be crowned champion. The same is true on the women’s side. The men’s and women’s doubles competitions start with 64 teams, and mixed doubles starts with 32.
75 million
The total prize money in US dollars that gets divvied up among the players (as of 2024). The biggest winners are the men’s and women’s singles champions, getting $3.6 million each. The prize money is courtesy the non-profit United States Tennis Association (USTA), whose main source of revenue is the tournament that it operates. The USTA obviously does a solid job of generating revenue from selling media rights, sponsorships, tickets, and concessions.
2
The number of weeks the tournament lasts (not including qualifying rounds), starting in late August and ending in early September.
957,387
The total attendance of the two-week event in 2023. The main court is at Arthur Ashe Stadium, known for its retractable roof and capacity of 23,771, making it the largest tennis stadium in the world.
2003
The last time an American won the men’s singles competition (Andy Roddick). That’s also the last time an American man has won the singles competition at any of the Grand Slam events. American women have fared better (thanks largely to Serena Williams), winning six singles championships at the US Open since 2003.
So what should you say when someone asks, What is the US Open? Just tell them to sit back and enjoy the birdie. No wait, that’s golf. Actually, just tell them to watch football like everyone else.
(This article was updated on August 31, 2024.)
