The tournament began in 1881 as the U.S. National Championship, a men’s-only event, with a women’s singles championship following in 1887. It took its modern name in 1968, when the dawn of the Open Era allowed professionals to compete alongside amateurs for the first time.

The US Open is unique among the four majors for having been staged on three different surfaces: it was played on grass until 1974, on clay from 1975 to 1977, and on hard courts ever since. Held at Flushing Meadows, its Arthur Ashe Stadium is the largest tennis arena in the world, and the event is famous for its electric, late-running night sessions. In 1973 it also became the first Grand Slam to award equal prize money to men and women.

In the Open Era, the men’s record is shared by Jimmy Connors 🇺🇸, Pete Sampras 🇺🇸 and Roger Federer 🇨🇭 with five titles each — Federer winning five in a row from 2004 to 2008. Among the women, Serena Williams 🇺🇸 and Chris Evert 🇺🇸 lead the way on six apiece.

Most recently, in 2025 Carlos Alcaraz 🇪🇸 beat Jannik Sinner in the final to claim his second US Open and sixth Grand Slam title, while Aryna Sabalenka 🇧🇾 defended her crown with victory over Amanda Anisimova. See below for US Open Predictions 🔥