The US Open Tennis Championships is a hardcourt tennis tournament held annually in Queens, New York. Since 1987, the US Open has been chronologically the fourth and final Grand Slam tournament of the year. The other three, in chronological order, are the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon. The US Open starts on the last Monday of August and continues for two weeks, with the middle weekend coinciding with the US Labor Day holiday. The tournament is one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, originally known as the U.S. National Championship, for which men's singles and men's doubles were first played in August 1881. It is the only Grand Slam that was not affected by cancellation of World War I and World War II or interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Richard Dudley Sears was an American tennis player, who won the US National Championships singles in its first seven years, from 1881 to 1887, and the doubles for six years from 1882 to 1887, after which he retired from tennis.
The inaugural U.S. National Championship was a tennis tournament that took place in August 1881 at the Newport Casino, Newport, Rhode Island and in that first year only clubs that were members of the United States National Lawn Tennis Association were permitted to enter the tournament. A Men's Singles competition and a Men's Doubles competition were played, and Richard Sears became the first men's singles U.S. National Tennis Champion.
The 1883 U.S. National Championships took place on the outdoor grass courts at the Newport Casino in Newport, United States. The tournament ran from 21 August until 24 August. It was the 3rd staging of the U.S. National Championships, and the second Grand Slam tennis event of the year.
List of champions of the 1884 U.S. National Championships. The tournament was held from August 26 to August 27 on the outdoor grass courts at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island. It was the 4th U.S. National Championships and the second Grand Slam tournament of the year.
List of champions of the 1885 U.S. National Championships. The tournament was held from 18 August to 22 August on the outdoor grass courts at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island. It was the 5th U.S. National Championships and the second Grand Slam tournament of the year.
List of champions of The 1886 U.S. National Championships. The tournament was held from Tuesday 23 August to Saturday 28 August on the outdoor Grass courts at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island. It was the 6th United States National Championships and the second Grand Slam of season.
List of champions of the 1887 U.S. National Championships. The men's tournament was held from 22 August to 30 August on the outdoor grass courts at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island. It was the 7th U.S. National Championships and the second Grand Slam tournament of the year. In 1887 the first U.S. Women's National Singles Championship was held. The event was launched at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, PA and was played after the men's tournament had ended. 17-year-old Philadelphian Ellen Hansell became the first women's champion. The men's doubles event was played at the Orange Lawn Tennis Club in South Orange, New Jersey.
List of champions of the 1907 U.S. National Championships tennis tournament. The men's tournament was held from 20 August to 28 August on the outdoor grass courts at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island. The women's tournament was held from 25 June to 2 July on the outdoor grass courts at the Philadelphia Cricket Club in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the 27th U.S. National Championships and the third Grand Slam tournament of the three played that year.
List of champions of the 1908 U.S. National Championships tennis tournament. The men's tournament was held from 18 August to 29 August on the outdoor grass courts at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island. The women's tournament was held from 22 June to 27 June on the outdoor grass courts at the Philadelphia Cricket Club in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the 28th U.S. National Championships and the second Grand Slam tournament of the three played that year.
The 1911 U.S. National Championships took place on the outdoor grass courts at the Newport Casino in Newport, United States. The men's singles tournament ran from 21 August until 3 September while the women's singles and doubles championship took place from 12 June to 17 June at the Philadelphia Cricket Club in Chestnut Hill. It was the 31st staging of the U.S. National Championships, and the second Grand Slam tennis event of the year. William Larned won the men's singles championship for a record seventh and final time.
The 1912 U.S. National Championships took place on the outdoor grass courts at the Newport Casino in Newport, United States. The men's singles tournament ran from 19 August until 26 August while the women's singles and doubles championship took place from 10 June to 15 June at the Philadelphia Cricket Club in Chestnut Hill. It was the 32nd staging of the U.S. National Championships, and the second Grand Slam tennis event of the year. The challenge round was abolished in this edition, thus requiring all participants, including the defending champion, to play the main draw.
The 1914 U.S. National Championships took place on the outdoor grass courts at the Newport Casino in Newport, United States. The men's singles tournament ran from 24 August until 1 September while the women's singles and doubles championship took place from 8 June to 13 June at the Philadelphia Cricket Club in Chestnut Hill. It was the 34th staging of the U.S. National Championships, and the second Grand Slam tennis event of the year. It was the final edition of the national championships held at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island before relocation to the West Side Tennis Club at Forest Hills, New York.
The 1915 U.S. National Championships took place on the outdoor grass courts at the West Side Tennis Club, Forest Hills in New York City, United States. The men's singles tournament ran from 31 August until 8 September while the women's singles and doubles championship took place from 7 June to 12 June at the Philadelphia Cricket Club in Chestnut Hill. It was the 35th staging of the U.S. National Championships, the first held at Forest Hills and the second Grand Slam tennis event of the year.
The 1916 U.S. National Championships took place on the outdoor grass courts at the West Side Tennis Club, Forest Hills in New York City, United States. The men's singles tournament ran from 28 August until 5 September while the women's singles and doubles championship took place from 5 June to 12 June at the Philadelphia Cricket Club in Chestnut Hill. It was the 36th staging of the U.S. National Championships, and the only Grand Slam tennis event of the year.
The 1919 U.S. National Championships was a tennis tournament that took place on the outdoor grass courts at the West Side Tennis Club, Forest Hills in New York City, United States. The women's tournament was held from 16 June until 20 June while the men's tournament ran from 26 August until 4 September. It was the 39th staging of the U.S. National Championships and the second Grand Slam tennis event of the year.
The 1881 Men's tennis tour was composed of the sixth annual pre-open era tour now incorporated 65 tournaments staged in Australia, Canada, Great Britain and Ireland, and the United States. The 1881 Wimbledon Championships was won by William Renshaw. This year also saw the inaugural and important 1881 U.S. National Championships held at Newport Casino which Richard Sears won. This was also the year that the United States National Lawn Tennis Association, which is the world's first national tennis association, was founded. Renshaw then won two other big tournaments of the year, the Irish Lawn Tennis Championships and Princes Club Championships, whilst Richard Taswell Richardson won the prestigious Northern Championships.
The 1882 Men's tennis tour was composed of the seventh annual pre-open era tour and now incorporated 67 events. The Wimbledon Championships and Irish Championships was won by William Renshaw, the U.S. National Championships was won by Richard Sears collecting his second title other big winners were Richard Taswell Richardson picking up the Northern Lawn Tennis Championships and Ernest Renshaw winning the Princes Club Championships, The title leader this season was Robert W. Braddell winning 4 tournaments from 6 finals.
Richard D. Sears