The US Open celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2008 and paid tribute to all forty past champions of the Open Era. '40, 40 champions' was the theme of a special opening night ceremony with many past champions present in Flushing Meadows, including Chris Evert, Rod Laver, Billie Jean King, Virginia Wade, John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Monica Seles, Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander, Lindsay Davenport, Roger Federer, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova and Marat Safin. The opening night celebration kicked off an amazing two weeks of tennis that culminated with Federer winning his fifth consecutive US Open title with a 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 win over Andy Murray, who was playing in his first Grand Slam final. In primetime, Serena Williams continued to etch her place in history as well, winning her ninth career Grand Slam title with a 6-4, 7-5 over Jelena Jankovic, in one of the closest women's finals in recent memory. It also had the highest television rating for the women's final since 2002, including up 57 percent from 2007, and more fans tuned in for the men's final as well with ratings up 16 percent. As a whole, the tournament was the most successful in its 40 year history, including setting a new attendance record of 720,000 fans.

The 2008 US Open also hit all-time highs in revenue, website traffic and concession sales. In addition, it was a year of 'Going Green' in Flushing Meadows as the USTA put in place a series of 'green' initiatives in an effort to make the US Open more friendly to the environment. Initiatives included recycling both plastic bottles and aluminum cans as well as reducing energy consumption. Throughout the tournament, children 14-and-under sang the national anthem before designated sessions after being selected from the second annual US Open Casting Call held at Radio City Music Hall in June. The US Open Draw Ceremony also moves, this year held at The New York Times Center. Back to Top 2007 The US Open begins with an Opening Night ceremony honoring the 50th anniversary of Althea Gibson's 1957 U.S. Nationals win-the first by an African-American-in a ceremony that precedes both Serena Williams' and Venus Williams' first round matches. Roger Federer defeats Novak Djokovic, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-4 to win his fourth consecutive US Open title and earns the largest payout in tennis history - $2.4 million - for winning both the US Open and Olympus US Open Series titles. Justine Henin does not lose a set en route to her second US Open women's singles title, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-3 in the women's final. It is only the fifth time that an American man or woman failed to reach either the men's or women's singles final since 1881. The tournament sets an all-time attendance record of 715,587, surpassing the 700,000 mark for the first time. The 61,083 fans in attendance on Saturday, Sept. 1, is a new daily gate record. Children 14-and-under from the New York metro area sing the national anthem before designated sessions-all 15 were selected at the inaugural US Open casting call held at Radio City Music Hall in June. The US Open Draw Ceremony is held at the Empire State Building for the first time. Back to Top 2006 The USTA renames the National Tennis Center for renowned champion Billie Jean King in a night-time ceremony that precedes Andre Agassi's first match of his 21st and final US Open. Federer becomes the first man in tennis history to win back-to-back Wimbledon and US Open titles in three straight years when he defeats Andy Roddick 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 in the men's singles final. It is Roddick's first US Open final since his championship in 2003 and is driven by a recent partnership with five-time US Open champion Jimmy Connors, who takes over as Roddick's coach in the months before the US Open. Maria Sharapova wins her first women's singles title with a 6-4, 6-4 decision over Henin-Hardenne. The tournament, however, belongs to Agassi and 49-year-old Martina Navratilova. Agassi, fighting through severe back pain, wins the match of the year in the second round, defeating Marcos Baghdatis 7-5 in the fifth set before bowing to German Benjamin Becker in the third round. Agassi gives a stirring final, on-court speech and is greeted by a standing ovation from the crowd and in the players' locker room afterward. Navratilova, meanwhile, wins the mixed doubles title with Bob Bryan in her final match. The total attendance of 23,736 for the renaming ceremony and Agassi's opening match sets a new record for a night match, and the 60,506 fans in attendance on Monday, Sept. 4 is also a record.

The 2006 US Open also features the debut of instant replay on the stadium courts, with Mardy Fish being the first player to challenge a call in Grand Slam tournament history. Back to Top 2005 US Open blue tennis courts make their debut at the USTA National Tennis Center after serving as a unifying element of the 10 US Open Series tournaments leading up to the event. Kim Clijsters collects a $2.2 million paycheck, the largest prize in women's sports history, for winning both the US Open and US Open Series. Clijsters captures the first and only Grand Slam singles title of her career in her fifth appearance in the final of a major. The likable Belgian defeats two-time champion Venus Williams in the quarterfinals and No. 1 seed Maria Sharapova in the semifinals in three sets before taking care of Mary Pierce in the final, 6-3, 6-1. Federer successfully defends his US Open singles title by defeating 35-year-old Agassi in the men's singles final 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(1), 6-1. Federer becomes the first man in the Open Era and third overall to successfully defend the Wimbledon and US Open since titles in the same year, joining Don Budge (1937-38) and Bill Tilden (1920-21). Agassi won three straight five-set matches to reach the final, including an epic comeback from two sets down against fellow American James Blake in the quarterfinals. Agassi is the oldest player to compete for the men's singles title since 39-year-old Ken Rosewall in 1974. Bob and Mike Bryan partner together to win their first US Open men's doubles title, avoiding the self-proclaimed "anti-slam" after having lost in the final of the three other Grand Slam tournaments earlier in the year. More than 659,000 fans attend the 2005 US Open, setting a tournament record.

In 2004 Roger Federer of Switzerland completes one of the greatest Grand Slam tournament seasons in the history of the sport when he defeats Lleyton Hewitt, 6-0, 7-6(3), 6-0, to win his first US Open men's singles title and his third Grand Slam title of the 2004 season. Federer, the 2004 Australian Open and Wimbledon champion, faces his toughest test of the tournament in the quarterfinals against Agassi, who extends Federer to five dramatic sets played over two days due to rain. Svetlana Kuznetsova becomes the first Russian woman to win the US Open when she defeats countrywoman Elena Dementieva, 6-3, 7-5, in the women's singles final. The women's final is played on the fourth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, and both Russian finalists pay tribute in pre-match and post-match activities. Kuznetsova enters stadium court for the final wearing an FDNY hat for the Fire Department of New York, while Elena Dementieva wears an NYPD hat to honor the New York Police Department. In post-match speeches, both players pay tribute to the heroes and victims of Sept. 11, as well as the Russian school massacre 11 days earlier in Beslan, Russia. Back to Top 2003 A passing of the torch occurs at the US Open, as the tournament begins with Sampras announcing his retirement from the sport in an emotional on-court ceremony during the opening night of the championships. American Andy Roddick, 21, closes the tournament by claiming the crown that Sampras took the year before, winning his first Grand Slam tournament title with a 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-3 victory over Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero in the men's singles final. With the win, Roddick becomes the first American man to win his first Grand Slam title since Agassi broke through at Wimbledon in 1992. Justine Henin-Hardenne becomes the first Belgian woman to win the US Open, defeating countrywoman Kim Clijsters in the women's singles final, 7-5, 6-1. In the semifinals, Henin-Hardenne and American Jennifer Capriati play an epic match, with Henin-Hardenne defeating Capriati, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(4), in a match that concludes at 12:27 a.m. The Capriati-Henin-Hardenne match lasts just over three hours, with Capriati serving for the match in the second and third sets and being two points from winning the match on 11 separate occasions. Capriati and Henin-Hardenne both win 127 points in the match. Capriati, who reached the US Open round of 16 as a 14-year-old in 1990, would advance to the semifinals on four occasions (1991, 2001, 2003, 2004) but never the final. Back to Top 2002 Nearly one year after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States that destroyed New York City's World Trade Center, the US Open honors the spirit and resiliency of New York and the U.S. with a special Opening Night ceremony that featured the Ground Zero "Heroes Flag" and an on-court tribute led by three New Yorkers: singer Tony Bennett, actress-singer Queen Latifah and actor Judd Hirsch. Various honor guards participate, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg reads a special proclamation. During the course of the event, the USTA honored New York's heroes with nightly tributes between matches. In the final match of his decorated career, 15th-seeded Sampras wins his fifth US Open singles title and his record 14th career Grand Slam title, defeating Agassi, 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, in the men's singles final. In the second "prime-time" women's singles final, Serena Williams avenges her 2001 loss to older sister Venus, winning her second US Open singles title by a 6-4, 6-3 margin.

In 2001 Capitalizing on the popularity of women's tennis, the US Open schedules its women's final in prime-time network television, the first Grand Slam event to do so. The move is a big hit, as the Williams sisters-Venus and Serena-become the first sisters to meet in a U.S. Nationals/US Open final. The match is the most watched show on television that night, with 22.7 million viewers watching Venus defeat Serena, 6-2, 6-4, to win her second consecutive women's singles crown. Sampras is again upended in the men's singles final, falling to Australian Lleyton Hewitt, 7-6, 6-1, 6-1. Meanwhile, big-screen TVs measuring 35-feet by 19-feet are installed inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, giving fans seated in the promenade level a closer view of action throughout the tournament. Two years shy of the 30th anniversary of the US Open Junior Championships, a junior qualifying event is added to the tournament program, creating more opportunities for the next generation of stars to compete at the highest level. Back to Top 2000 A giant-screen monitor is mounted on the outside of Louis Armstrong Stadium, allowing fans in the Food Court to see the action in Arthur Ashe Stadium. This addition coincides with a big push to make the US Open a sports and entertainment spectacular, with stars from music, stage and screen performing throughout the event (performers included Grammy winners Tony Bennett and Patti LaBelle). Adding to the spectacle, U.S. President Bill Clinton attends the women's final, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to attend the tournament. President Clinton witnesses the first women's singles title for Venus Williams, who defeats Lindsay Davenport to succeed her younger sister as US Open champion. They are the first sisters to win US Open singles titles. In the men's event, 20-year-old Russian Marat Safin shocks a heavily favored Sampras with a dominating, straight-set victory, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. Back to Top 1999 The rededication of Louis Armstrong Stadium, formerly the main stadium before the construction of Arthur Ashe, marks the completion of the $285 million USTA National Tennis Center expansion project, which spanned the terms of six USTA presidents. On the courts, U.S. tennis shines brightly, as Serena Williams wins the US Open women's singles title to become the first black woman to win the U.S. championship title since Althea Gibson in 1958, and Andre Agassi defeats fellow American Todd Martin in the first five-set men's final since 1988. In addition, the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, share the women's doubles title, and Texan Alex O'Brien shares the men's doubles championship with Sebastien Lareau of Canada. Back to Top 1998 Lindsay Davenport becomes the first U.S.-born woman to capture the US Open women's singles title in 16 years, defeating Hingis, 6-3, 7-5, in the final. Including the US Open, Davenport wins 20 of 21 matches during the U.S. summer hard-court season, and exactly one month after winning the US Open, she becomes the first U.S.-born woman in 13 years to be ranked No. 1 in the world. Rafter repeats as men's singles champion, defeating countryman Mark Philippoussis in four sets. Back to Top 1997 The US Open becomes a coming-out party, as Arthur Ashe Stadium is the centerpiece of a new USTA National Tennis Center, and the US Open crowns brand new men's and women's singles champions. By the score of 6-0, 6-4, Martina Hingis of Switzerland wins her first U.S. women's singles title at 16 years, 11 months and 8 days, the second-youngest woman to do so. In the youngest Grand Slam tournament final of the Open Era, she defeats 17-year-old American Venus Williams, the first US Open debut finalist since Pam Shriver in 1978, the first black finalist since Arthur Ashe in 1972, the first unseeded finalist since Darlene Hard in 1958 and the first black woman in a final since Althea Gibson defeated Hard that same year. In men's singles, Patrick Rafter wins his first Grand Slam tournament by defeating Greg Rusedski, 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, in the final. Rafter is the first Australian man to win the US Open since John Newcombe in 1973, while Rusedski is the first British man to reach a U.S. championships final since Fred Perry in 1936. Back to Top 1996 With the No. 1 ranking at stake for the men's winner, top-seeded Sampras, three days after throwing up on court because of extreme dehydration and fatigue against Alex Corretja in the quarterfinals, subdues second-seeded Michael Chang in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6(3), to win his fourth men's singles crown. It is Sampras' first Grand Slam tournament title since the death of his close friend and coach, Tim Gullickson, who would have celebrated his 45th birthday the day of the men's final. (Gullickson died of brain cancer on May 3, 1996.) Graf claims her 21st Grand Slam singles title by defeating Seles, 7-5, 6-4, in the women's singles final. Graf does not drop a set en route to her fifth and final women's singles championship. Back to Top 1995 Playing in only her second tournament since she was stabbed in the back in April 1993, Monica Seles roars into the women's singles final, where she and long-time rival Graf play one of the most memorable singles finals in the history of the tournament. Despite losing the second set 6-0, Graf wins her fourth US Open title and her 18th career Grand Slam title with a 7-6, 0-6, 6-3 victory. Sampras, the second seed, wins his third US Open title, defeating top-seeded Agassi, 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, in a battle of the two previous two US Open singles champions. For the first time ever at the US Open, four players who have all been ranked No. 1 in the world reach the semifinals, as Agassi defeats Boris Becker and Sampras defeats Jim Courier. Back to Top 1994 Andre Agassi knocks off a record five seeded players en route to becoming the first unseeded player in the Open Era to win the US Open men's singles championship. Agassi, who entered the tournament ranked No. 20, blitzes No. 4 seeded Michael Stich of Germany in the final, 6-1, 7-6, 7-5. Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario rebounds after losing the first set in 22 minutes to win her first US Open women's singles crown by defeating Graf, 1-6, 7-6, 6-4. Sanchez-Vicario, the first Spanish woman to win the US Open title, also teams with Jana Novotna to win the women's doubles title.

In 1993 The USTA celebrates the 25th anniversary of the first US Open and the 15th anniversary of the US Open's move from Forest Hills to the USTA National Tennis Center, as the second-seeded Sampras collects his second US Open title by defeating upstart Frenchman Cedric Pioline in the men's singles final, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3. Pioline is the first Frenchman since Henri Cochet in 1932 to reach the men's singles final. After a three-year absence, Steffi Graf returns to the winner's circle with her third US Open women's singles title, defeating Helena Sukova, 6-3, 6-3, in the final. A new world attendance record is set as 530,764 fans attend the 1993 US Open. Prize money eclipses $9 million. Grounds passes are sold for the first time. Back to Top 1992 Edberg wins three straight five-set matches to reach the singles final, where he dispatches 1990 US Open champion Pete Sampras in the first US Open final featuring the last two men's champions since 1947. En route to the final, Edberg comes back from fifth-set deficits against Richard Krajicek in the round of 16, Ivan Lendl in the quarterfinals and Michael Chang in the semifinals. Edberg's 6-7, 7-5, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 victory over Chang lasts five hours, 26 minutes in what is believed to be the longest match in US Open history. Seles also repeats as US Open champion but requires much less effort than Edberg. In comparison to the 28 sets Edberg plays to win the Open title, Seles needs only the minimum 14 sets (seven straight-set matches) to capture the singles title. In the final, Seles defeats Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, appearing in her first US Open singles final. Back to Top 1991 Wild-card entrant Jimmy Connors, ranked No. 174 and 39-years-old, makes a stunning run to the semifinals. Connors, a five-time US Open champion, comes back from a two-set deficit to defeat Patrick McEnroe in the first round, 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4, in a four hour, 35-five minute match that ends at 1:30 a.m. On his 39th birthday, Connors defeats Aaron Krickstein, 3-6, 7-6, 1-6, 6-3, 7-6, in the fourth round. Jim Courier ends Connors' run in the semifinals by a 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 margin but is defeated in the final by Edberg, who claims his first US Open singles title and becomes the first player since Mal Anderson in 1957 to win the U.S. Championships the year after losing in the first round. In the women's final, Monica Seles defeats a 34-year-old Navratilova, 7-6, 6-1, to win her first women's singles title. The 1991 US Open opens with a record crowd of 22,166 fans passing through the turnstiles on Aug. 26-the largest single session crowd to attend the US Open. Back to Top 1990 At the age of 19 years and 28 days, Pete Sampras becomes the youngest US Open men's singles champion, defeating Andre Agassi, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2, in the final. The 12th-seeded Sampras is also the lowest men's seed to win the US Open. (Mal Anderson in 1957 and Fred Stolle in 1966 were unseeded champions). The Sampras-Agassi final is the first All-American final since McEnroe defeated Vitas Gerulaitis for the 1979 title. Stefan Edberg becomes only the second No. 1 seed in the Open Era to lose in the first round, where he is dismissed in straight sets by Alexander Volkov. Gabriela Sabatini wins her first Grand Slam championship, upsetting Graf in the women's final, 6-2, 7-6. Back to Top 1989 Evert plays in her final US Open, losing to Zina Garrison in the quarterfinals, 7-6, 6-2. Evert defeats Monica Seles, 6-0, 6-2, in the round of 16 for her 101st and final singles victory at the US Open. Graf wins her second straight US Open title, defeating Navratilova in the final, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1. Boris Becker makes it a German sweep of the singles titles, defeating Lendl, 7-6, 1-6, 6-3, 7-6, in the final. With the result, Lendl ties Bill Tilden for the most successive singles finals in the U.S. Championships with eight. Becker is down match point in the second round to Derrick Rostagno but receives a lucky net cord on a forehand passing shot that keeps him in the tournament. John McEnroe teams with Mark Woodforde to win his fourth US Open doubles crown to go with his four singles titles.

In 1988 Steffi Graf wins her first US Open title to complete the first Grand Slam in tennis since Margaret Court in 1970. Graf, the third player in the Open Era to claim the Grand Slam at the US Open, defeats Gabriela Sabatini in the final, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. Later in the year, Graf captures the Olympic gold medal in Seoul, Korea, giving her a "Golden Slam." Mats Wilander clinches the No. 1 ranking and defeats Lendl, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, for the men's singles title in four hours and 55 minutes-the longest US Open singles final in the Open Era. A stomach virus causes Rick Leach and Chris Evert to default the men's doubles final and women's semifinal, respectively, on the same day. Back to Top 1987 Ivan Lendl wins his third straight title in his sixth straight final, defeating Mats Wilander of Sweden, 6-7, 6-0, 7-6, 6-4, in a four-hour, 47-minute final played on Monday due to rain. On the 100th anniversary of the first women's championships, Navratilova wins the US Open triple crown-the first sweep since Margaret Smith Court in 1970-defeating Steffi Graf for the women's singles title, teaming with Pam Shriver to win the women's doubles crown and pairing with Emilio Sanchez to win the mixed doubles title. Chris Evert's streak of 16 straight US Open semifinal appearances is ended by Lori McNeil in the quarterfinals. McNeil's victory also ensures that Evert will not win a Grand Slam title in a calendar year for the first time in 13 years. Michael Chang, at the age of 15 years, six months and 10 days, becomes the youngest male player to win a match at the US Open, defeating Paul McNamee in the first round. Lendl defeats McEnroe, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4, in a quarterfinal night match viewed by 21,016 fans-to date the largest crowd to watch a night match at the US Open. Back to Top 1986 In the year of the all-Czech singles finals, Lendl defeats Miloslav Mecir for the men's crown, and Navratilova defeats Helena Sukova for the women's title. All four players in the singles finals were born in Czechoslovakia; Navratilova, however, is an American citizen and Lendl a resident of Greenwich, Conn. Mecir, seeded No. 16, is the lowest-ranked finalist since unseeded Jan Kodes reached the 1971 men's singles final. McEnroe suffers his earliest exit from the US Open, losing to Paul Annacone in the first round, and Connors' streak of 12 straight semifinal berths is ended by Todd Witsken in the third round. Tim Wilkison is the lone American man to reach the quarterfinals. Back to Top 1985 After suffering through three straight US Open final-round losses, Lendl breaks through to win his first title, defeating McEnroe, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4, in the final. Hana Mandlikova's third US Open final is a charm, as she defeats Navratilova, 7-6, 1-6, 7-6, in the final. McEnroe, the top seed, avoids a major upset bid by Shlomo Glickstein in the tournament's opening round, surviving in the fifth-set tiebreak. Mary Joe Fernandez, at the age of 14 years and eight days, becomes the youngest person to win a match at the US Open when she defeats Sara Gomer in the first round, 6-1, 6-4. A tornado strikes the USTA National Tennis Center in the late afternoon of Aug. 30, causing serious damage to the grounds, including downed power lines, major flooding and uprooted trees. There is, however, no delay, and the tournament resumes in full the next day. Back to Top 1984 Saturday, Sept. 8-arguably the single greatest day in tennis history-highlights the 1984 US Open. Each of the four superb matches played on the Stadium Court extends to the maximum number of sets, beginning at 11:07 a.m. with Stan Smith defeating John Newcombe, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, in the senior men's semifinal. Lendl then saves a match point in defeating Pat Cash, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7, 7-6, in the first men's semifinal. Next, Navratilova captures her second straight US Open singles title, defeating Evert Lloyd, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. McEnroe and Connors end the day's play at 11:14 p.m. with McEnroe eliminating the two-time defending champion, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. The men's final proves anticlimactic next to the preceding day's events, as McEnroe defeats Lendl in straight sets for his fourth US Open men's singles title. Back to Top 1983 In her 11th US Open appearance, Navratilova breaks through to win her first US Open women's singles title. Navratilova, playing in only her second US Open final, routs six-time champion Chris Evert Lloyd, 6-1, 6-3. Connors and Lendl again play in the men's singles final, with Connors snatching the last nine games of the match for a 6-3, 6-7, 7-5, 6-0 victory. The championship was Connors' fifth at the US Open-making him the first male player to win five U.S. singles championships in 59 years, dating back to Bill Tilden's six titles from 1920-25. The winner's purse exceeds $100,000 for the first time, as Navratilova and Connors each receive checks for $120,000.

In 1982 Evert Lloyd captures the last of her six US Open singles titles, defeating Hana Mandlikova in the final, 6-3, 6-1. Pam Shriver's stunning 1-6, 7-6, 6-2 quarterfinal upset of reigning French and Wimbledon champion Navratilova is the match of the tournament on the women's side. Top-seeded Navratilova, an overwhelming favorite for the title, leaves the court in tears as her Grand Slam hopes are dashed. Connors, who last won the US Open in 1978, also returns to the winner's circle, defeating first-time finalist Ivan Lendl in a crowd-pleasing, four-set final. Lendl ends John McEnroe's 26-match US Open win streak in the semifinals. Billie Jean King makes her final singles appearance at the US Open, losing in the first round to Susan Mascarin. Total tournament prize money exceeds $1 million. Back to Top 1981 At the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Championships, Americans claim both singles titles and the men's and women's doubles titles. McEnroe wins his third straight men's singles crown, equaling a feat last achieved by Bill Tilden in 1925. McEnroe defeats Borg in the final, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3, in the Swede's final Grand Slam appearance. The loss is Borg's fourth US Open runner-up finish. McEnroe also teams with Peter Fleming to win the doubles title. At 18, Tracy Austin wins her second US Open title when Martina Navratilova double faults on match point of Austin's 1-6, 7-6, 7-6 victory. Navratilova, who upset Evert Lloyd in the semifinals, appears in her first US Open women's singles final. Back to Top 1980 Borg and McEnroe play one of the all-time great US Open Championship matches, as McEnroe fends off Borg in five sets, 7-6, 6-1, 6-7, 5-7, 6-4, for his second straight US Open title. After taking a three-month sabbatical from tennis earlier in the year, Evert Lloyd wins her fifth US Open title in the six years, defeating Hana Mandlikova, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1, in the final. Evert avenges her 1979 final-round loss to Austin in the semifinals. At the age of 15 years, three months, Andrea Jaeger becomes the youngest US Open semifinalist, defeating Barbara Hallquist in a quarterfinal match viewed by a record crowd of 18,606. The 1980 US Open attracts 364,370 fans, which sets a new world tournament record. Back to Top 1979 Tracy Austin becomes the youngest US Open champion at the age of 16 years, eight months and 28 days, defeating four-time defending champion Chris Evert Lloyd, 6-4, 6-3, in the final. En route to the title, Austin defeats 14-year-old Andrea Jaeger in the second round and No. 2 seed Martina Navratilova in the semifinals. Austin's win breaks Evert Lloyd's 31-match win streak at the US Open. Kathy Horvath, five days past her 14th birthday, becomes the youngest woman to play in the US Open, losing in the first round to Dianne Fromholtz, 7-6, 6-2. In men's play, Roscoe Tanner's serve breaks the net and ends Borg's chances at a US Open title, as Tanner upsets the top seed in the quarterfinals. Four American men reach the semifinals for the first time since 1950 and two New Yorkers, John McEnroe and Vitas Gerulaitis, reach the men's singles final, with McEnroe claiming his first Grand Slam singles title with a 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 victory. Back to Top 1978 Spearheaded by United States Tennis Association President W.E. "Slew" Hester, the US Open moves to the hard courts of the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Bjorn Borg and Bob Hewitt play the first match ever on the Stadium Court on Tuesday night, Aug. 29. Pam Shriver, 16 and armed with a 110-square-inch oversized racquet, reaches the women's singles final, where she falls to Evert. The victory gives Evert her fourth straight US Open title, which equals the record set by Molla B. Mallory (1915-18) and Helen H. Jacobs (1932-35). Playing in his fifth straight US Open final, Connors dispatches Borg in straight sets for his third US Open title. The victory on the DecoTurf II hard courts gives Connors the distinction of being the only player to ever win the US Open on three different surfaces (grass in 1974, clay in 1976 and hard in 1978 and later 1982-83). Total attendance at the 1978 US Open exceeds 275,000, setting a new tournament record. Total tournament prize money exceeds $500,000.

In 1977 In the last US Open played at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, US Open crowds get their first look at Tracy Austin and John McEnroe. Austin, the 14-year-old tennis sensation, upsets No. 4 seed Sue Barker and reaches the quarterfinals. McEnroe, from nearby Douglaston, N.Y., earns three victories before bowing to 1975 US Open champion Manuel Orantes. Guillermo Vilas shocks defending champion Jimmy Connors in a dramatic four-set final, while Chris Evert wins her third straight singles title, defeating Wendy Turnbull in the final. With the 1978 US Open moving to the hard courts of the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadow, N.Y., Evert's victory, combined with her two victories in 1975 and 1976, gives her the distinction of being the only woman to win a US Open singles title on clay courts. Forty-two-year-old transsexual Renee Richards loses in the first round to No. 3 seed Virginia Wade, but reaches the doubles final with Bettyann Stuart. The women's doubles is won by Betty Stove and Martina Navratilova. It is the first US Open title for Navratilova; her last would come 29 years later, when she teams with American Bob Bryan to win the mixed doubles title. In men's play, Mike Fishbach's spaghetti racquet earns him a second-round upset of Stan Smith. Back to Top 1976 In the 200th year of American independence, two Americans claim singles titles at the 1976 US Open-Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert. Evert wins her second straight US Open title by defeating Goolagong for the second consecutive year. Connors and Swede Bjorn Borg play a memorable final,, highlighted by the 70-minute third set that ends in a thrilling tiebreak won by Connors 11-9 after saving four set points. Connors would go on to a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 triumph for his second US Open title. Back to Top 1975 Night tennis makes its debut in Grand Slam tennis at the 1975 US Open-the first of three US Opens played on clay courts. The lights at the West Side Tennis Club shine on one of the greatest comebacks in tennis history as Manuel Orantes saves five match points and comes back from being down two-sets-to-one and 0-5 in the fourth set to defeat Guillermo Vilas, 4-6, 1-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4, in the semifinals. Less than 18 hours after defeating Vilas, Orantes upsets top-seeded and defending champion Connors, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, in the men's singles final. Evert makes the most of the first US Open played on clay courts by defeating Goolagong, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, for her first US Open women's singles title. The victory over Goolagong was Evert's 85th in her 125-match win streak on clay. Eighteen-year-old Martina Navratilova of Czechoslovakia makes world-wide headlines as she announces her defection to the United States. Back to Top 1974 In the final U.S. Championships/US Open played on grass, 22-year-old Jimmy Connors crushes 39-year-old Ken Rosewall in 78 minutes, 6-1, 6-0, 6-1, in the most lopsided final in the history of the U.S. Championships/US Open. It marks the first of five US Open titles for Connors, who would again win in 1976, 1978, 1982 and 1983. Billie Jean King notches her fourth singles title at Forest Hills, defeating Goolagong, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Goolagong ends Chris Evert's 56-match win streak in the semifinals.

In 1973 Another hallmark achievement in tennis history is recorded at the US Open, as men and women players receive equal prize money at the US Open. The beneficiaries are Margaret Smith Court and John Newcombe, who are awarded championship checks of $25,000 for their respective singles championships. Newcombe avenges his loss to Jan Kodes in the first round of the 1971 US Open, defeating the Wimbledon champion in a five-set final. Court wins her fifth U.S. Championship/US Open with a 7-6, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Evonne Goolagong, who would finish as the US Open runner-up four straight years (1973-76). Back to Top 1972 In a dramatic comeback, Ilie Nastase thwarts Arthur Ashe's bid for a second US Open title, defeating the 1968 champion, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3, in a final viewed by a then-record crowd of 14,696. Nastase trails two sets to one and faces break point serving at 1-3 in the fourth. Nastase, who also trailed by a service break in the fifth set, earned $25,000 for the championship. Billie Jean King becomes the first player in the Open Era to repeat as singles champion at the US Open, defeating Kerry Melville, 6-3, 7-5. Back to Top 1971 A 16-year-old Chris Evert makes her US Open debut by reaching the semifinals, where she is defeated by eventual champion Billie Jean King. King, who sat out the 1970 US Open due to knee surgery, upends doubles partner Rosie Casals, 6-4, 7-6, for the championship and the $5,000 first-prize check. Less than a month later, King would become the first woman to ever exceed $100,000 in prize money for a year. Stan Smith's victory in the men's championship gives the U.S. a sweep of the men's and women's singles titles for the first time in 16 years. It also marks Smith's first Grand Slam singles title after claiming two Grand Slam doubles titles with Bob Lutz. Wimbledon champion John Newcombe loses in the first round to Jan Kodes, 2-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-3, becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose in the opening round of the U.S. Championships/US Open since 1928. Back to Top 1970 The tiebreak makes its Grand Slam debut and Court defeats Rosie Casals 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 in the women's final to become only the second woman to win the Grand Slam. Her US Open victory also marks the second straight year a Grand Slam was completed at the US Open, following Rod Laver in 1969. Court did not stop with her singles triumph, winning the first US Open triple crown by claiming the women's doubles title with Judy Dalton and the mixed doubles title with Marty Riessen. Her total prize money for all three events is $9,500. In men's play, 35-year-old Ken Rosewall wins his second US Open singles title-14 years after his first triumph-defeating Tony Roche in the final, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6, 6-3. Rosewall withstands the loss of the first set, three break points at 5-6 in the third set, a tight third set tiebreak (the first-ever in a Grand Slam final) and a cracked frame to his favorite wooden racket, which he continued to use because of its marvelous touch.

In 1969 Australian Rod Laver completes his second Grand Slam and the fourth in tennis history, defeating countryman Tony Roche, 7-9, 6-1, 6-3, 6-2, for the championship. Because rain delayed the final until Monday, the historic singles final was only viewed by a crowd of 3,708. Soggy weather further delayed the Monday final by 1 hour, 35 minutes while a rented helicopter flew into the Stadium Court at the West Side Tennis Club and dried off the grass playing surface. After he failed to win the first set serving at 5-4, Laver makes a strategic switch from sneakers to spikes to help his footing on the slippery grass surface. With the spikes, Laver wins 20 of the next 29 games. In women's play, Margaret Smith Court captures the singles title with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Nancy Richey. Court also wins the mixed doubles title with Marty Riessen but fails to win the first US Open triple, losing in the women's doubles final with Virginia Wade to Francoise Durr and Darlene Hard. Back to Top 1968 Arthur Ashe wins the first ever US Open men's singles crown, defeating Tom Okker of the Netherlands, 14-12, 5-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, in the final. Because of his amateur status, the 25-year-old Ashe, a lieutenant in the U.S. Army, was ineligible to receive the $14,000 first prize in the $100,000 event-at the time the richest tournament in tennis history. Instead, Ashe collects only his $20 per diem. Ashe is the first American to win the U.S. men's singles title since 1955 and the first-ever African-American to win a men's singles title at a Grand Slam Championship. The New York Times calls Ashe's victory "the most notable achievement made in the sport by a Negro male athlete." Virginia Wade of Great Britain upsets top-seeded Billie Jean King for the women's title and collects a check of $6,000.