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2005 US Open Championships | Tennis Wagering | Tennis Grand Slam

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US Open History First Years

Fist Year 1968

Arthur Ashe wins the first ever U.S. 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, the resident of Richmond, Va. collects $280 in expenses, at $20 per diem for 14 days, including two days of practice. Ashe is the first American to win the U.S. Open men's singles title since 1955. He also is the first 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. Wade collects the first prize check of $6,000.

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Ten Years later 1978

Spearheaded by United States Tennis Association President W.E. "Slew" Hester, Jr., the U.S. 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. Sixteen-year-old Pam Shriver, armed with 110 square inch oversized racquet, reaches the singles final, where her run is stopped by Chris Evert. The victory gives Evert her fourth straight U.S. Open title, which equals the record set by Molla B. Mallory (1915-18) and Helen H. Jacobs (1932-35).Jimmy Connors, playing in his fifth straight U.S. Open final, dispatches of Borg in straight sets for his third U.S. Open title. The victory on the Deco-Turf II hard courts gives Connors the distinction of being the only player to ever win the U.S. Open on three different surfaces (Grass - 1974, Clay - 1976, Hard - 1978 and later 1982-83).

Total attendance at the 1978 U.S. Open exceeds 275,000 setting a new tournament record. Total tournament prize money exceeds $500,000.

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Ten Years later 1988

Steffi Graf wins her first U.S. 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 U.S. 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 Ivan 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 U.S. 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.

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US Open History (90's to present)

1990

At the age of 19 years and 28 days, Pete Sampras becomes the youngest U.S. Open men's singles champion defeating Andre Agassi in the final 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. The 12th-seeded Sampras is also the lowest men's seed to win the U.S. Open. (Mal Anderson in 1957 and Fred Stolle in 1966 were unseeded champions). The Sampras-Agassi final is the first All-American final since John McEnroe defeated Vitas Gerulaitis for the 1979 title. Stefan Edberg becomes only the second No. 1 seeded player in the Open era to lose in the first round when he is dismissed in straight sets by Alexander Volkov on the second day of the tournament.

Gabriela Sabatini wins her first Grand Slam championship, upsetting Steffi Graf in the women's final 6-2, 7-6.

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1991

Thirty-nine-year-old wildcard entrant Jimmy Connors, ranked No. 174, turns back the clock and reaches the U.S. Open semifinals. Connors, a five-time U.S. 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 and thirty-five minute match that ends at 1:30 am. 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. Courier is defeated in the final by Stefan Edberg, who claims his first U.S. 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.

Monica Seles defeats 34-year-old Martina Navratilova 7-6, 6-1 to win her first U.S. Open singles title. The 1991 U.S. Open opens with a record crowd of 22,166 fans entering the turnstiles on Aug. 26. - the largest single session crowd to attend the U.S. Open.

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1992

Defending champion Stefan Edberg wins three straight five-set matches after trailing by a service break in the final set, to reach the singles final. Edberg faces 1990 champion Pete Sampras in the first U.S. Open final featuring the last two men's champions since 1947. Edberg repeats as champion with a four-set victory that earns him the No. 1 ranking. 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, 7-6, 5-7, 6-4 victory over Chang lasts five hours and twenty-six minutes in what is believed to be the longest match in U.S. Open history.

Like Edberg, Monica Seles also repeats as U.S. 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 14 sets (seven straight set matches) to win the singles title. In the final, Seles easily defeats Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, who was appearing in her first U.S. Open singles final.

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1993

The United States Tennis Association celebrates the 25th anniversary of the first U.S. Open and the 15th anniversary of the U.S. Open's move from Forest Hills to the USTA National Tennis Center.

Second-seeded Pete Sampras wins his second U.S. 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 final of the U.S. Championships.

Steffi Graf encounters little difficultly winning her third U.S. Open women's singles title, defeating Helena Sukova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-3 in the final.

A new world attendance record is set as 530,764 fans attend the 1993 U.S. Open. Prize money eclipses $9 million. Grounds passes are sold for the first time.

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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 U.S. Open men’ 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 25 minutes to win her first U.S. Open women’s singles crown by defeating top-seeded Steffi Graf 1-6, 7-6, 6-4. Sanchez Vicario, the first Spanish woman to win the U.S. Open title, also teams with Jana Novotna to win the women’s doubles title.

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1995

Playing in only her second tournament since she was stabbed in the back in April of 1993, Monica Seles roars into the women’s singles final, where she and long-time rival Steffi 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 U.S. Open title and her 18th career Grand Slam title with a 7-6, 0-6, 6-3 victory.

Second-seeded Pete Sampras wins his third U.S. Open title, defeating top-seeded and defending champion Andre Agassi 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 in a battle of the previous two U.S. Open singles champions. For the first time ever at the U.S. Open, four players that have ranked No. 1 in the world reach the men’s semifinals as Agassi defeats Boris Becker and Sampras defeats Jim Courier.

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1996

Pete Sampras overcomes mental and physical adversity in winning his fourth U.S. Open singles crown. In one of the most dramatic matches in the history of the U.S. Open, Sampras overcomes fatigue, becoming ill on court and a match point down to overcome Alex Corretja of Spain 7-6 (5), 5-7, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7) in the quarterfinals. After defeating Goran Ivanisevic in the semifinals, Sampras overwhelms first-time finalist Michael Chang 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 for the title. Sampras defeats Chang on what would have been the 45th birthday of his coach Tim Gullikson, who died of brain cancer four months earlier.

Steffi Graf claims her fifth U.S. Open title and sixth consecutive Grand Slam singles title defeating Monica Seles 7-5, 6-4 in the women’s singles final. The men’s and women’s singles finals are the last to be played in Louis Armstrong Stadium.

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1997

Everything is new at the 1997 U.S. Open as the United States Tennis Association christens the new Arthur Ashe Stadium and two new singles champions are crowned. Sixteen-year-old Martina Hingis of Switzerland defeats 17-year-old American Venus Williams 6-0, 6-4 to win the women’s singles crown in the youngest Grand Slam final in the Open era. Patrick Rafter becomes the first Australian to win the U.S. Open since John Newcombe in 1973 when he defeats Britain’s Greg Rusedski 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in the men’s singles final.

While Hingis wins the title and becomes the second-youngest U.S. Open champion, Williams steals the headlines, breaking through to reach the U.S. Open singles final in her first visit to the U.S. Open. She become the first unseeded player to reach the U.S. Open final since Pam Shriver in 1978 and the first African-American to play in a U.S. Open final since Ashe in 1972. Williams is also the first African-American to reach the women’s singles final since Althea Gibson in 1958. Ironically Gibson celebrated her 70th birthday on the first day of the tournament – the same day Williams wins her first ever match at the U.S. Open. Williams’ 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (7) victory over Irina Spirlea in the semifinals is one of the most memorable matches of the tournament as Williams overcomes two match points and changeover collision with Spirlea to win.

Rafter withstands the serving strength of Rusedski to capture his first Grand Slam singles title. Rusedski launches the fastest serve ever struck in a U.S. Open final – a 143 mile per hour service winner – but is out-played by the net-rushing Rafter. Rusedski, a Canadian-born citizen of England, is the first Brit to play in a U.S. Open men’s singles final since Fred Perry in 1934, which gives Britain something to cheer about as they mourn the passing of Princess Diana, who dies during the tournament.

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1998

American Lindsay Davenport wins her first Grand Slam singles title as she defeated No. 1 seed and defending champion Martina Hingis of Switzerland 6-3, 7-5 in the women’s singles final. Davenport becomes the first American-born woman to win the women’s singles title at the U.S. Open since Chris Evert won the last of her six singles titles in 1982. Davenport does not lose a set in her seven match victories en route to the title.

Patrick Rafter of Australia repeats as men’s singles champion, defeating countryman Mark Philippoussis 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 in the first All-Australian men’s singles final since 1970. Rafter is nearly bounced in the first round of the tournament, as he overcomes a two-sets-to-love deficit to defeat Hicham Arazi of Morocco 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 in the first round and prevents himself from being the first U.S. Open defending champion defeated in the first round. In the semifinals, Rafter defeats top-seeded Pete Sampras 6-7, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, halting the American’s attempt to tie Roy Emerson’s Grand Slam singles title record of 12. In the quarterfinals, the unseeded Philippoussis saves three match points in the fifth-set and defeats Swede Thomas Johansson 4-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 (12-10) in one of the closest and most dramatic matches in U.S. Open history.

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1999

Serena Williams becomes only the second African-American to win the women’s singles title at the US Championships – joining 1957 and 1958 champion Althea Gibson – defeating Martina Hingis 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the final. Hingis prevents an all-Williams sister singles final, by defeating Venus Williams 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 in a dramatic women’s singles semifinal. The Williams sisters, however, capture the women’s doubles title by defeating Chanda Rubin and Sandrine Testud in the final, becoming the first sister combination to win the U.S. women’s doubles title since Grace and Ellen Roosevelt in 1890. Andre Agassi captures his second US Open singles championship by staving off countryman Todd Martin 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-2 without losing his serve in the five-set final. Martin performs one of the greatest comebacks in Open history in the round of 16, defeating Greg Rusedski of Britain 5-7, 0-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-4. Rusedski serves for the match at 5-4 in the third set and leads 4-1 in the fifth set. Inspired by the chants of “Let’s Go Todd” from the fans in Arthur Ashe Stadium, Martin wins 20 of the final 21 points of the match. Two-time defending champion Patrick Rafter becomes the first defending champion to lose in the first round of the US Open, when he is defeated by Cedric Pioline of France 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 1-0, ret. Rafter is forced to retire from the match due to a shoulder injury that ends his 1999 season.

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2000

Venus Williams keeps the US Open women’s singles title “in the family” as she defeats Lindsay Davenport 6-4, 7-5 in the women’s singles final. Winning the singles title that her younger sister Serena won the year before, the Williams sisters become the first set of sisters to win US Open singles titles. Williams wills her way to victory over Martina Hingis in a dramatic three-set semifinal, staging a comeback from 3-5 down in the final set to claim a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 decision against the No. 1 seed.

Twenty-year-old Marat Safin becomes the first Russian to win the US Open singles title, blitzing four-time US Open champion Pete Sampras 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in the men’s singles final.

Eventual semifinalist Todd Martin stages another incredible US Open comeback as he comes back from a two-set deficit and match point down in the fourth-set tiebreak and defeats Spain’s Carlos Moya 6-7 (3), 6-7 (7), 6-1, 7-6 (6), 6-2 in a fourth-round match that concluded at 1:22 am.

U.S President Bill Clinton becomes the first sitting U.S. President to attend the US Open as he makes his Open debut on Sept. 9.

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2001

In front of a packed house of celebrities and tennis aficionados,Venus Williams successfully defended her 2000 US Open crown, defeating younger sister Serena, 6-2, 6-4, in the first women’s final ever to be played live on primetime television. Venus was never tested in the tournament, using her overpowering game to dispose of some of tennis’ top talent, including Kim Clijsters, whom she crushed, 6-3, 6-1, in the quarterfinals, and Jennifer Capriati, whom she beat, 6-4, 6-2, in the semifinals.

On the men’s side, after surviving five-set matches against James Blake and Andy Roddick in the second and quarterfinal rounds, respectively, Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt captured his first career Grand Slam title, crushing four-time champion Pete Sampras, 7-6(4), 6-1, 6-1, in the championship match. Sampras played amazing tennis to get to his second consecutive final, knocking off former US Open champions Patrick Rafter, Andre Agassi and Marat Safin, before his meeting with Hew.

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2002

In perhaps a story more suited for Hollywood than Flushing Meadows, Pete Sampras won his fifth US Open title and 14th Grand Slam crown by defeating fellow American and long-time rival Andre Agassi, 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4. A worn down Sampras was deemed a longshot to advance very far, let alone reach his third straight final, but he was able to reach back and make the nostalgic crowd think it was 1990 again, knocking off top players such as Greg Rusedski, Tommy Haas, Andy Roddick and Sjeng Schalken. Sampras, who holds the record as the youngest US Open winner, became the second oldest US Open winner ever with the win.

On the women’s side, Serena Williams overwhelmed her older sister Venus by a 6-4, 6-3 margin, and clinched her third straight Grand Slam title. It was also the third straight all-Williams Grand Slam final, and with the win Serena maintained her world No. 1 ranking, just 12 months removed from when Venus cemented her place at the top of the rankings with a comprehensive win over Serena at Flushing Meadows. But this was Serena's turn to dominate, and she did just that, managing to cruise through the entire two weeks without dropping a single set.

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2003

"I can't believe it," cried 21-year-old American champion Andy Roddick. With his legs giving out on him, hands cupping his face, and overwhelmed with emotion after a straight-set 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-3 triumph over Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain, Roddick's singular moment in the sun was confirmed with a standing ovation from the capacity crowd inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. A year after the legendary Pete Sampras won the 2003 US Open and announced his retirement from tennis during a stirring ceremony the following August at the USTA National Tennis Center, Roddick began his odyssey toward becoming the next great American men.s champion.

Justine Henin-Hardenne's emotional and physically-draining semifinal match of the tournament against American Jennifer Capriati left her questionable for the All-Belgian final against Kim Clijsters, but the sweet-swinging second seed dug deep, playing with the heart and ferocity of a lion, winning her first US Open title, 7-5, 6-1. Coupled with her win at Roland Garros, Henin-Hardenne would go on to finish the 2003 season with a pair of Grand Slams and the overall No. 1 ranking in the world.

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