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USTA National Tennis Center Information

About The National Tennis Center

The USTA National Tennis Center is the largest public tennis facility in the world. Operated by the USTA for the City of New York, the facility opened in 1978 when the USTA moved the US Open from the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, NY. It is, most certainly, a “Tennis Welcome Center.”

The USTA National Tennis Center includes 33 outdoor courts – not including Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium or the Grandstand courts – and nine indoor courts, which are available for year-round use by the public. There are 22 field courts located within the gates of the tennis center, and 11 additional courts built by the USTA at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, which is adjacent to the main entrance. These 11 courts are run by the New York City Parks Department and are used as practice courts during the US Open.

Although the USTA National Tennis Center is best known as the home of the US Open, a number of other exciting events are held at the facility each year. Tournaments include the Women’s College Tennis Invitational (an ITA event), the Jana Hunsaker Memorial Eastern Wheelchair Championships (an ITF event), the USTA National Open Indoor Championships, the "Turn Back The Clock" (wood racquets only) tournament and a host of USTA Eastern sectional tournaments for juniors, adults and seniors.

The USTA National Tennis Center professional staff also conducts community tennis programs, including USA Tennis 1-2-3, USA Team Tennis, and USA League Tennis (36 level-of-play teams). During the summer, there are three junior summer tennis camps which run concurrently and two popular weekend adult tennis camps. Components of USA Tennis High Performance training for elite junior players occur at the USTA NTC as well. These include the USA Tennis Competition Training Center (CTC), for top ranking boys and girls in the 14s and 12s divisions of the USTA Eastern Metro Region and an ongoing USA Tennis High Performance “Pilot Program” for the top nationally ranked American players in the northeast.

The USTA National Tennis Center is open to the public seven days a week, 11 months a year and closes only on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

History of the USTA National Tennis Center

In 1978, the United States Tennis Association turned a former World’s Fair site into a marvel of public and private cooperation with the opening of the USTA National Tennis Center. The idea to establish a facility began in the fall of 1976, when W.E. "Slew" Hester, soon-to-be president of the USTA, recognized the need for an alternative site for the US Open. The size and scope of the tournament had clearly grown beyond the capacity of the tiny West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y., so he wanted to move the tournament elsewhere.

In January 1977, on a flight to New York to meet with the city parks commissioner, Hester glimpsed Louis Armstrong Stadium in snow-covered Flushing Meadows Corona Park as his plane approached LaGuardia Airport. From that moment, Hester’s vision and perseverance led to the rapid development of site plans and agreements with New York City to create the USTA National Tennis Center. Ground was broken in October 1977, and, remarkably, the new facility opened the following August, a mere 10 months later.

In March 1995, construction began to expand the USTA National Tennis Center. A new arena – Arthur Ashe Stadium – was built to hold more than 22,000 spectators. Louis Armstrong Stadium was renovated and downsized to hold 10,000 people. A number of outdoor courts were demolished and re-built with better access and more seating available for spectators, and the number of restrooms and food concessions, including a large food court, were added to make the tennis center the state-of-the-art facility it is today. Funding for the entire expansion project was paid for entirely by the USTA, with no costs involving any city or taxpayer money.

Best known as the home of the US Open, the USTA National Tennis Center is the ultimate “Tennis Welcome Center.” There are programs for every level player, including children, teens, adults, seniors, and the physically challenged. The USTA NTC’s professional staff conducts summer tennis camps, group and private lessons and every USTA Community Tennis program, including USA Tennis 1-2-3, USA Team Tennis and USA League Tennis. There are also components of USA Tennis High Performance training for elite athletes as well. The USTA NTC hosts a number of events throughout the year. Tournaments held at the site include the USTA NTC Women’s College Tennis Invitational (an ITA event), the Jana Hunsaker Memorial Eastern Wheelchair Tennis Championships (an ITF event), the Mayor's Cup Scholastic Championships (organized by the NYJTL), the USTA National Open Indoor Championships, the "Turn Back The Clock" (wood racquets only) tournament and a host of USTA Eastern sectional tournaments for juniors, adults and seniors.

The USTA National Tennis Center is now the largest public tennis facility in the world. It is open to the public seven days a week, 11 months a year and is closed only on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

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