The 2013 US Open tennis tournament is being held in Flushing, Queens as always, from August 26th to September 9th. And while you’re pretty much guaranteed to see some world-class tennis on both the men’s and women’s sides, nothing ever seems to go exactly as expected, and there are always surprises. Here are 7 things you didn’t know about the US Open that you may find interesting.
1) Love that Home Cooking
Since the US Open was first held way back in 1881, an American has appeared in either the men’s or women’s singles final in every year but six. Only six times! And two of those six tournaments took place within the past few years. The 2002 US Open saw the most American domination, as Pete Sampras beat Andre Agassi in the men’s final and Serena Williams beat her sister Venus in the women’s.
2) All Three Surfaces
The US Open is the only grand slam tennis tournament that’s been held on all three of the different playing surfaces used in professional tennis. It has been held on both grass and clay at Forest Hills, and on hard court in its present location of Flushing Meadows.
3) Lining Their Pockets
The US Open is the richest single sporting event, with the highest single prize. Last year, the winners of both the men’s and women’s US Open each received almost $2 million in prize money.
4) Play Stopped by Gunshots
In 1977 during a John McEnroe match, the play was delayed because of a shooting in the crowd. One spectator had been hit in the leg by a stray bullet that came into the stadium off the street. The play was delayed for a few minutes then resumed, and it wasn’t until the match was over that everyone found out what really happened.
5) Sporting Neighbors
In 2009, the New York Mets moved from Shea Stadium to Citi Field, which is basically a stone’s throw away from Flushing Meadows. It really is possible to catch a tennis match and a ball game all in the same day.
6) All Hail the Lefty
Lefties only comprise about 10 percent of the world’s population, but between 1974 and 1984 every single male US Open champ was left-handed. That’s a lot of lefties! On the women’s side, there weren’t any between 1902 and 1982 until Martina Navratilova ended the streak.
7) The Benefit of Being #1
Sometimes, it pays to be number one, and this is especially true if you’re in the men’s US Open tennis tournament. From 1977 until 2009, every men’s champion was either the current world-ranked number one player or had been in the past.
Want to be part of history at this year’s US Open in New York? Roadtrips can help you get there with your choice of match tickets. We’ll put together a custom US Open travel package so you can experience the best in professional tennis. Contact us for more information about customizing your experience.