U.S. Open - Tennis Topics - ESPN Past Winners The U.S. Open is the final Grand Slam tournament of each season, held in late August and early September at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Having originated in 1881 as the United States National Championship -- a men's-only event -- the tournament now consists of championships in men's and women's singles, as well as men's, women's and mixed doubles. It also hosts junior, senior and wheelchair divisions. Currently held on hard courts, the U.S. Open had been played on grass and clay surfaces prior to the event's move to the USTA National Tennis Center (in 1978). In men's and women's singles at the U.S. Open, the final set is determined by a tiebreaker if it reaches six games all. That differs from the other three Grand Slam events in which the deciding set continues on indefinitely until a two-game lead is reached. The inaugural U. S. Open was held in 1881 in Newport, R.I.

That year, only men's singles was featured, with Richard Sears capturing the championship after a 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 victory over William Glyn in the finals. Sears went on to win the singles championship in each of the first seven years the tournament was held. By the time of his last title, women had begun contesting a singles championship at the U. S. Women's National Singles Championship. (Various divisions were held separately as national championship events, before all five major divisions -- men's and women's singles and doubles, plus the mixed doubles -- were consolidated into one tournament in 1968.) Throughout its early years, the U. S. Open men's championship was dominated by several players. Oliver Campbell won three straight competitions from 1890 to 1892. Malcolm Whitman won it from 1898 to 1900. William Larned won five titles in a row from 1907 to 1911, while "Big Bill" Tilden -- one of the first American superstars in the sport -- won six straight from 1920 to 1925.

Molla Bjurstedt of Norway captured four straight women's championships from 1915 to 1918. Helen Wills won six times in a seven-year span from 1923 to 1929, and Helen Jacobs claimed four straight during the 1930s. The 1930s also saw Fred Perry and Don Budge emerge as international stars, and the two combined to win five of six U.S. men's singles titles between 1933 and 1938. The two met in the 1936 final, an epic match won by Perry after a 10-8 fifth set. That year marked the last time a British man has won the U.S. Open. American players proved dominant in the following decade, with Frank Parker, Jack Kramer and Pancho Gonzalez each winning two men's titles during the 1940s. U.S. women won each year between 1938 and 1958, with Pauline Betz winning four times in that period and Margaret Osbourne-Dupont and Maureen Connolly taking three titles each.

Australians came into prominence in the sport and at the U.S. open during the 1960s. Neale Fraser, Roy Emerson and Rod Laver won multiple men's titles in that decade, while Margaret Smith Court claimed four women's trophies. The start of the Open era of tennis in 1968 provided a couple of major surprises at the U.S. Open that year, when all championship divisions were played together at Forest Hills in New York. Arthur Ashe won the men's singles crown -- the first time it was officially termed the "U.S. Open" -- defeating Tom Okker of the Netherlands in the final, 14-12, 5-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. 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 Open was the richest tournament in tennis history.) Instead, Ashe received his $20 per diem. Ashe was 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 women's tournament in 1968 also saw a shocker as Britain's Virginia Wade won the title, upsetting top-seed and heavy favorite Billie Jean King. King would rebound by winning three of four U.S. Open crowns between 1971 and 1974. Chris Evert then won four straight from 1975 to 1978. The tournament was played on the grass courts at Forest Hills from 1968 until 1974, when the site turned to a clay surface that was utilized until 1977. The next year, the U.S. Open moved to a new facility -- the USTA Tennis Center -- in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., where Jimmy Connors defeated Bjorn Borg in the men's final to earn the 1978 trophy. Having also won in 1974 and 1976 Opens, Connors holds the distinction of being the only player to win the U.S. Open on three surfaces.

Connors would go on to claim two more titles, after another left-handed American, John McEnroe, won three straight between 1979 and 1981. Foreign players proved successful throughout the rest of the decade, with Ivan Lendl and Stefan Edberg winning multiple men's titles and Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf combining to take six of seven women's events between 1983 and 1989. Graf went on to win three more times during the 1990s, when U.S. stalwarts Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi emerged to dominate the men's competition. Sampras eventually totaled five U.S. Open championship wins to equal Connors' record number in the Open era. Switzerland's Roger Federer also reached that number by winning five straight U.S. Opens from 2004 to 2008. That year, Serene Williams won her third U.S. Open women's title, a feat that would be equaled two years later by Belgian Kim Clijsters.

In 1997, the Arthur Ashe Stadium, the new center court on the grounds of the National Tennis Center, became the centerpiece for the annual event, allowing more than 20,000 fans to witness matches on the main court. Nine years later, the host facility was officially renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in honor of the pioneering woman who captured 13 U.S. Open titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles competitions. King helped boost the prize money associated with the women's game, and by the new millennium the men's and women's events at the U.S. Open were multimillion dollar competitions. The 2009 U.S. Open's total purse topped $21.6 million, marking the third consecutive year the tournament's prize money increased by $1 million. In addition to the base purse of $21.6 million, the top three men's and top three women's finishers in the Olympus US Open Series had the opportunity to earn up to an additional $2.6 million in bonus prize money at the U.S. Open, providing a potential total payout of $24.2 million.

The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is a tennis complex located in the Flushing Meadows section of Queens, N.Y., that hosts the U.S. Open tennis tournament each year (in August and September). The center features two of the largest tennis stadiums in the world -- the Louis Armstrong Stadium and the newer Arthur Ashe Stadium (with a capacity over 23,000), which became the site's center court in 1997. Originally built in 1978 after USTA incoming president Slew Hester suggested Armstrong Stadium and the surrounding area be used to build a home for the U.S Open, the National Tennis Center has grown to include over 30 outdoor courts -- 22 of which are used for the U.S. Open -- that are constructed with the DecoTurf acrylic (hard-court) surface. The overall site features 12 indoor courts and four climate-controlled clay courts available for public use. With a regular staff of certified tennis professionals, the National Tennis Center conducts a number of instructional events and USTA programs throughout the year. The site is open to the public seven days a week for 11 months of the year, closing only on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.

Besides the U.S. Open, the National Tennis Center hosts college invitational events, sectional tournaments for juniors and other USTA divisions and the New York state high school tennis tournament each May. Year-by-Year US Open Singles Champions Year Tennis – ‘the golden age’ of the 1960s–70s and beyond | australia.gov.au Tennis – ‘the golden age’ of the 1960s–70s and beyond Tennis – ‘the golden age’ of the 1960s–70s and beyond Mark Woodforde, Doubles Champion 1989–2000 Australians dominated world tennis in the 1950s and 1960s in major events known as Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian, French and United States Open, and Wimbledon in the UK. This period was known as the ‘golden age’ of Australian tennis. In the 1960s, men's tennis open titles were dominated by six Australian men: Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, John Newcombe, Tony Roche, Ken Rosewall, and Fred Stolle.

Between 1961 and 1970, Australian men's tennis champions won at least one Open Singles title every year at either Wimbledon or the French or US Opens, as well as the Australian Open titles. In men's tennis, the golden age culminated in 1969 with Rod Laver's second Grand Slam win, as well as four major titles in the same year. Margaret Court, courtesy of Australian Open In 1970, Margaret Court also completed the Grand Slam. Court is one of only three women ever to win four international tennis open titles in one year. Indigenous player Evonne Goolagong Cawley was also a strong force in women's tennis in Australia in the 1970s with wins at Wimbledon, the French and the Australian Opens. The ‘golden age’ for Australian tennis players declined from 1969 when amateur players were joined by professionals. Also by the 1980s, the Australian Open synchronised its dates to begin in January in line with the European, UK and USA players events schedule, which greatly widened the pool of players.

Yet even following the decline of Australia's dominance in the Grand Slam tournaments, tennis remained popular in urban areas and the Australian Open grows in popularity as a spectator sport. Early tennis development 1900s–1950s The golden age of Australian tennis was built on the early successes of both men's and women's tennis with Grand Slam tournament winners: Norman Brookes in the 1900s to 1919, Jack Crawford in the early 1930s, and Harry Hopman from 1929–39. This was in tandem with the consistent wins and popularity of women's tennis from the 1920s to the 1950s. Daphne Akhurst reached the Wimbledon final in 1925 and won the Doubles in 1928. From the1930s to the 1950s, Nancy Bolton got to the USA Singles Open and won other titles with her doubles partner, Thelma Long. Bolton was ranked No.4 in 1947 and stayed in that position until 1949.

This series of wins in the amateur Grand Slam tournament titles of the 1940s and 1950s was made possible by extensive community and industry support, and investment in the development and administration of amateur tennis players. Harry Hopman, courtesy of Australian Open Harry Hopman was a captain turned coach of 22 Australian Davis Cup teams between 1939 and 1967. As coach Hopman guided Australian male tennis players to 15 Davis Cup victories in 20 years. Ken Rosewall, Frank Sedgeman, John Bromwich, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Lew Hoad and Margaret Smith Court were all either trained by Harry Hopman or managed by Nell Hopman. ( The Hopman Era: Australia on the Rise) Amateurs, tennis community and industry in the 1960s By 1969 the game started to change. Professional players were invited to join the amateurs at the Grand Slam tournaments and prize money was offered for the first time, different tennis court surfaces and different game strategies emerged, and metal racquets were introduced. Professional versus amateur In 1969, the Australian Open Championships became 'open' to amateurs and professionals.

This followed in the footsteps of the French Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, UK, and the USA Open. Rod Laver returned to win his second grand slam in 1969. The advantages to amateur Australian champions who had enjoyed the riches of the Davis Cup endorsements soon disappeared with the advent of ‘open’ tennis. The end of the golden age was seen in the average age of the Davis Cup team, which was 35 years. It was another 18 years until Pat Cash, another Australian man, won the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1987. Balls and tennis racquet with carbon fiber reinforced polymer frame Different surfaces – different game strategies, racquet evolution Different surfaces require different game strategies, maintenance and care. Tennis was originally played on grass courts but in the 1970s many other surfaces were common. These included dried cow faeces (mainly in India), wood, synthetic carpets, anthill grit (in Australia), concrete, crushed brick, clay, asphalt, canvas, rebound ace and plexicusion, to name just a few. In the 1960s and 1970s metal racquets were introduced.

The next step in the evolution of the tennis racquet came with a material called graphite, which made the racquet lighter and stiffer. Soon after, a number of new materials were being used in racquets, including Kevlar, ceramic, and titanium. Prize pool changes It wasn't until the' introduction of truly ‘open’ tennis in 1968 that players were paid for their efforts on court. Prize money for singles titles has changed dramatically. In 1969 the Australian Open offered $4,500 (AUD) to the winning man and $1,750 (AUD) to the winning woman. The largest prize pool at this time was the US Open with the man taking home $15,068 (AUD) and the winning woman getting $6,457 (AUD). However this is a small amount compared to prize money in more recent times. In 2009 both the winning man and woman at the Australian Open received $2,000,000 (AUD). This was also the highest amount given at the four Grand Slams that year.

The 'golden age' of men's tennis – the 1960s In the 1960s, men's tennis open titles were dominated by six Australian men: Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, John Newcombe, Tony Roche. Ken Rosewall, and Fred Stolle. Between 1961 and 1970, Australian men's tennis champions won at least one Open Singles title every year at either Wimbledon, the French or US Opens, as well as the Australian Open titles. Roy Emerson, champion 1959–71 Roy Emerson was Australian Singles champion in 1961 and then five consecutive times between 1963 and 1967. Emerson also won the men's singles titles in the French, US and Wimbledon Opens, winning each of them twice between 1963 and 1967. His feats in doubles champions were extraordinary. Emerson won three Australian Open titles, five consecutive French titles from 1960 to 1965, four US titles between 1959 and 1966, and three Wimbledon titles between 1959 and 1971.

Emerson came close to completing the Grand Slam in 1964 but fell in the French quarterfinals. Emerson played in eight winning Davis Cup teams, which was an incredible achievement. Ken Rosewall, champion 1953–1972 Ken Rosewall, Courtesy of Australian Open Ken Rosewall was a great singles champion, winning eight open titles between 1953 and 1972, Australian, French and US. He was one of the finest players to not win Wimbledon singles. Rosewall also won nine doubles champion titles, a total of 17 major titles, and achieved a career doubles Grand Slam. Rosewall, ‘Muscles’ to his friends, continued his tennis career into his 40s. Ken Rosewall is known as one of Australia's greatest tennis players. When he was 17 years of age, Ken was selected to play for the Australian Davis Cup team, travelling with Davis Cup captain and coach Hary Hopman. This kick-started his career playing amateur, professional and open tennis.

In 1953 he won his first Grand Slam title in the Australian Open Singles tournament and then went on to win 17 more titles during his career of over 30 years. Fred Stolle, champion 1961–69 Fred Stolle won the French and US Opens in 1965 and 1956 respectively and was runner-up at Wimbledon three times (1963, 1964 and 1965) and twice at the Australian championships (1964 and 1965). Yet, Stolle won all four doubles opens, winning 15 titles from 1961 to 1969. Tall and competitive, Fred Stolle was known for his powerful serve, accurate volleys and fluid backhand. Rod Laver, Grand Slam winner 1961 and 1969, and champion 1959–71 Rod Laver, no source Rod Laver became the only Australian to win the Grand Slam twice in 1962 and 1969. Laver dominated Australian men's tennis in the 1960s although his competitors in Australia were also world champions.

Laver won Wimbledon Singles titles four times – in 1961 and 1962 and in 1968 and 1969, the Australian Open three times, and the French and the United States Open twice each. Laver was Australian doubles champion four times, as well as winning at the French and Wimbledon titles. Dubbed ‘Rocket’ Rod Laver by then Davis Cup captain Harry Hopman, Laver ‘was a powerful left-hander who sent the ball hurtling over the net laden with topspin’. Laver was a driven competitor whose attacking play won him many titles, winning 17 of his 20 titles in this decade. Laver racked up a formidable 20-4 win-loss record in Davis Cup ties and was part of five winning teams during his career. In January 2000, centre court at Melbourne Park was named Rod Laver Arena in honour of Laver's achievements. 1969 Australian Open, Brisbane – Rod Laver and Margaret Court The tournament was contested on Milton's grass courts in Brisbane between a men's field of 48 and a women's field of 32.

Rod Laver's semifinal victory over Tony Roche was played in 105-degree heat. Their contest dragged on for more than four hours, 7-5 22-20 9-11 1-6 6-3, both players putting wet cabbage leaves in their hats to help them keep cool. Laver went on to win the title, defeating Andres Gimeno of Spain 6-3 6-4 7-5, claiming $5,000 in prize money and the first leg of his second Grand Slam. Margaret Smith Court beat Billie Jean King 6-4 6-1 to take the $1,500 prize. Australian Open History, 1969) 1970–75 – Australian Open men's draw depleted of players In 1970 the Australian Open men's draw was depleted by the absence of Laver, Ken Rosewall, Andres Gimeno, Pancho Gonzales, Roy Emerson and Fred Stolle. They were all professional players signed to a tour-specific contract with the National Tennis League and ‘they were banned from entering the Australian Open because the tournament's financial guarantees were deemed too low’.

It was in this field, or lack of it, that Arthur Ashe became the first non-Australian to win the title since 1959. Margaret Court and Evonne Goolagong by Ern McQuillan,1971. Courtesy of National Portrait Gallery. In 1972, the gulf between professional players and amateurs widened with a dispute between the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) and World Championship Tennis (WCT) which impacted on players in events between January and July 1972. In a bid to subvert the ban, Australian Open organisers started their tournament on December 27. However, the December dates did nothing to attract European players who boycotted the Australian Open for another decade because of the clash with Christmas. In 1973 there was only marginal competition from overseas players. Nine of 12 men's seeds were Australian with no.1 seed and defending champion Ken Rosewall losing in the second round to Karl Meiler of Germany. On the women's side all but three of the 12 seeds were Australians.

The Australian Open's timing, slap-bang in the middle of the holiday season, was a continued bone of contention with international players, the legendary Bjorn Borg boycotting the tournament saying, ‘I was trying to make a statement. My point was that a player requires some time to himself. He can't keep rushing from one court to another all the time without a break.‘ Australian Open, history, 1973 John Newcombe (right) with American Jimmy Connors, 1974, Australian Open, Courtesy Courier Mail Australian players like John Newcombe also objected to the event date in the December Christmas period. In 1975, Newcombe ranked as no 2, only entered at the last minute on hearing that the American Jimmy Connors, ranked as no.1, would be making the trip. It was the first Australian Open match televised in America, on CBS, and was Connors' last competitive match in Australia. Newcombe won 7-5 3-6 6-4 7-6.

John Newcombe, champion 1965–75 John Newcombe is best remembered for his 12 doubles open titles with Tony Roche, which was more than any other men's team in tennis history. Newcombe also won the singles open titles in 1973–75, Wimbledon in 1967, 1970–71, and the US in 1967 and 1973, winning all bar the French title. As a player, John Newcombe was strong, athletic and a great competitor. His serve, volley and forehand were his most formidable weapons and he used them to devastating effect. Tony Roche, Champion 1965–74, Courtesy of Australian Open Tony Roche, champion 1965–74 Tony Roche (b. 1945) enjoyed startling success on the doubles court with his long-time partner John Newcombe. Between 1965 and 1974 the pair snared 12 major doubles titles together, including five Wimbledon championships, four Australian and two French Open titles, and one US Open title.

Roche possessed a difficult left-hand serve and was skilled in attacking his opponent with volleys. These skills helped him claim the 1966 French title, which was his only major singles win. He finished runner-up in the single titles on several occasions – twice at the French (1965 and 1967), twice in the United States (1969 and 1970), and once at Wimbledon (1968). After retiring, Roche became a successful coach and has mentored world no.1 players including Ivan Lendl, Patrick Rafter, Lleyton Hewitt, and Roger Federer. Women's tennis Women players made their marks in the 1960s and 1970s. Lesley Bowrey won 13 major titles between 1961 and 1967. After Margaret Court completed the Grand Slam in 1971, Evonne Goolagong Cawley dominated women's tennis in Australia in the 1970s winning the Wimbledon Singles title and the French Open in 1971, followed by four consecutive Australian Singles titles from 1974 to 1977.

Lesley Bowrey, champion 1961–67 Lesley Bowrey. Courtesy of Australian Open Lesley Bowrey (b. 1942) from Trangie, NSW was the first Australian women to win two French Open Singles titles, in 1963 and 1964. Overall Bowery won 13 major titles including seven international doubles – the Australian, French, Wimbledon and the United States Open titles – as well as four mixed doubles champions in Australian Open and at Wimbledon between 1961 and 1967. She was a runner-up on 14 occasions in Grand Slam tournaments. Bowrey participated in the inaugural Federation Cup competition in 1963 and went on to captain Australia's Federation Cup team between 1994 and 2000. Margaret Court, Grand Slam, 1970 and champion 1960–75 Margaret Court nee Smith (b. 1942) is Australia's most successful women's tennis player on the world circuit. Court was dubbed ‘The Arm’ by Billie Jean King. Court amassed a list of tournament wins that is yet to be rivalled.

She won: the Australian Singles champion ten times, the French Open Singles four times, the United States Open five times; and, Wimbledon three times. Altogether, Margaret Court collected 62 major titles in singles, doubles and mixed. Her closest rival is Martina Navratilova with 56 titles. A strong player known for her heavy ground strokes and powerful serve, she was the world's number one seeded player three times – in 1969, 1970 and 1973. In 1970, Margaret Court completed the Grand Slam, winning four international tennis open titles in one year. Court is one of only three women ever to complete this feat. Evonne Goolagong Cawley, champion 1971–80 Evonne Goolagong, 1971, courtesy of Australian Open Evonne Goolagong Cawley (b. 1951) dominated women's tennis in Australia in the 1970s with four consecutive Australian Singles titles from 1974 to 1977.

Prior to this Goolagong Cawley won the Wimbledon Singles title in 1971, as well as the French Open in the same year and, the Wimbledon Singles again in 1980. Goolagong Cawley was ranked in the top 10 for nine years and climbed to the top of the rankings for one week in 1976. Goolagong was a poster girl for aspiring country players in the 1970s, a darling of the circuit with a song written about her achievements and popularity. A player renowned for her grace and speed around the court, Goolagong Cawley started playing as a young girl by hitting a ball against a wall with the paling from an apple crate board. Goolagong Cawley came close to completing a career Grand Slam in 1971 with a doubles win in the Australian Open but, the US Open title eluded her. Wendy Turnbull, champion 1978–82 Wendy Turnbull (b.

1952) made the final of every Open except Wimbledon, achieving a top 10 year-end world ranking for eight consecutive years (1977–1984) and a year-end top 20 ranking for 10 straight years (1977–1986). Turnbull's Open titles were in Doubles – Wimbledon (1978), the French (1979), and the US (1979 and 1982). She was also the Mixed Doubles champion five times across the French, Wimbledon and US titles between 1979 and 1980. Turnbull was renowned for her foot speed around the court. Australian Open 1980s–90s: a set venue and date but controversies Davis Cup final at Kooyong, 1986. Courtesy of Herald Weekly Times Image Library Whilst Melbourne's Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club had been the Australian Open's 'permanent' home since 1972, by 1980 there were suggestions that the Australian Open no longer deserved its 'big four' status.

This was fuelled by the absence of Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe who had won the previous three Slams between them and who were indisputably the top two players in the world. It was not until 1986 that organisers decided to move the tournament away from the Christmas/New Year period, scheduling it in a new, permanent timeslot in January, hoping to attract international players. In 1988 the Australian Open was held in a new modern Melbourne Park Tennis Centre, constructed with hard courts and a unique retractable roof over the centre court. However in 1995, the centre court's sliding roof was no match for Melbourne's weather, and rainfall during the Agassi – Aaron Krickstein semifinal flooded the arena, turning the stands into waterfalls. In 1996, the Australian Open benefitted from a facilities upgrade that effectively doubled the size of the venue. An investment of $23 million bought two new show courts, one seating 3,000 the other seating 800, and eight new Rebound Ace courts. The Centre Court was renamed the Rod Laver Arena.

Pat Cash, champion 1987 Pat Cash in action during the 1986 Davis Cup final at Kooyong. Courtesy of Herald Weekly Times Image Library Pat Cash (b. 1965) won the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1987 and made the final of the Australian Open twice in 1987 and 1988. Cash was renowned for his serves and volleys and his best games were played on grass. Sportsmanship controversies – Cash pelted and McEnroe (USA) disqualified Two issues, the truly open nature of sport and sportsmanship came to the fore in 1987 and 1990 at the Australian Open. The open nature of sport, of having open selection trials and selecting representative teams, was an issue for international competition. In South Africa, the apartheid policies of the government and the sporting bodies deliberately excluded South Africa's non-white people from participating in representative sport.

(ANC, International Boycott of Apartheid Sport, 25 May 1971, With special reference to the campaigns in Britain by the Anti-Apartheid Movement, Paper prepared for the United Nations Unit on Apartheid in 1971) Since the 1960s, the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa and internationally had campaigned to boycott international players and teams from participating in South African sports events until the government and sports administrators permitted open selection trails, mixed sports games and access to facilities. At the 1987 Australian Open, Australian Pat Cash was the reigning South African Open champion. Cash … was booed by banner-wielding anti-apartheid protesters and pelted with black tennis balls at the seventh-game change of end. … Cash shrugged off the distraction to reach the final for a second consecutive year. He lost to Mats Wilander in a 6-3 6-7(3) 3-6 6-1 8-6 epic regarded as the best Slam decider of the season. Australian Open, History, 1987 McEnroe disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct, 1990.

Australian Open, still Good sportsmanship is the 'golden rule' of sports. It means treating the people you play with and against as you'd like to be treated yourself. Good sportsmanship is seen to be demonstrated when players show respect for themselves, their teammates, and their opponents, for the coaches on both sides, and for the referees, judges, and other officials. Being polite, courteous and not losing tempers on the court is part of the practice of ‘good sportsmanship’. (What is sportsmanship?, Greater Brisbane Junior Tennis) The question of what is acceptable sportsmanship was tested when John McEnroe (USA) disagreed with and swore at the umpire at the 1990 Australian Open. McEnroe was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, verbal abuse and tennis code violation. (McEnroe defaulted at Australian Open 1990) In 1990 … umpire Gerry Armstrong and chief supervisor Ken Farrar putting a rocket under John McEnroe in his fourth round match, disqualifying him for unsportsmanlike conduct under the new ‘three strikes you're out’ rule.

Australian Open, History, 1990 The 25 Greatest Male Tennis Players of the Open Era | Bleacher Report The 25 Greatest Male Tennis Players of the Open Era By Sergey Zikov , Senior Analyst Feb 21, 2009 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories 91.1K 115 Comments Here are the 25 greatest athletes of the tennis world in the Open Era, meaning since 1968. I can't acknowledge greats like Fred Perry, Don Budge, and Bill Tilden for that reason, but they would all certainly make the list. These men come from all over the globe. From Australia to Sweden and South Africa to North America, they are all united in a common goal: to win Grand Slams. Some did this extremely well (see Sampras, Pete) and some spent more time as the lovable runner-up (see Lendl, Ivan). All title wins and Grand Slam victories listed are for singles only. So let the fun begin. 25a.

Patrick Rafter (AUS) Career Titles: 11 Career Grand Slams: 2 Rafter may very well be the last true serve-and-volley Grand Slam champion. Although he played a short career, the Aussie won back-to-back US Open titles in 1997 and 1998. Rafter was also twice a runner-up at Wimbledon, one of those times falling to Pete Sampras. He also won 10 doubles titles, winning the Australian Open title with doubles legend Jonas Bjorkman in 1999. He was elected into the Australian Open Hall of Fame on Australia Day in 2008. Career Titles: 26 Career Grand Slams: 2 Lleyton Hewitt, the fiery Australian kid who could, reached the world No. 1 ranking faster than anybody else. At 20 years and 268 days old, Hewitt became the world's best. He defeated Pete Sampras in the US Open to win his first Grand Slam title, then went on to win at Wimbledon the next year. Hewitt also won the 2000 US Open doubles final, with Belarussian Max Mirnyi as a partner.

He has been an exceptional hard court player throughout his career, and is commonly regarded as one of the elite defenders in the game. Career Titles: 26 Career Grand Slams: 1 Roddick is the prototype Power Era player. He plays his points short and holds the ATP World Record for fastest serve, clocked at a ridiculous 155 mph. He captured his first and only Grand Slam title to date when he defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero in straight sets at the US Open in 2003. Roddick has also reached three other Grand Slam finals (twice in Wimbledon, once more in Flushing Meadows) but lost to Roger Federer each time. He is currently engaged to model Brooklyn Decker. 23. Manuel Orantes (ESP) Career Titles: 33 Career Grand Slams: 1 Orantes had a unique knack of playing extraordinarily well in minor tournaments, but falling apart in Grand Slams. However, his only Grand Slam victory was a very impressive one to say the least; he defeated American Jimmy Connors at the US Open in 1975. He also did it in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.

Orantes also gave Bjorn Borg an excellent match at Roland Garros in 1974, where he won the first two sets before collapsing. He also partnered with Jose Higueras in 1978 to reach the French Open final in doubles. 22. Yevgeny Kafelnikov (RUS) Career Titles: 26 Career Grand Slams: 2 Kafelnikov has a very special mark on his record. He is the last man to capture the singles and doubles trophies at a Grand Slam event (1996 French Open). He partnered with Daniel Vacek and defeated the team of Guy Forget/Jakob Hlasek to win the doubles title, then went on to pummel Michael Stich for the singles title. He would also win the Australian Open in 1999. The heavy-swinging righty from Sochi also had four career Grand Slam doubles titles and an Olympic gold medal in singles at the Sydney games in 2000. 21.

Michael Chang (USA) Career Titles: 34 Career Grand Slams: 1 The diminutive Chang (5'9" 160 lbs.) had a reputation of winning young. He won countless titles as a teenager, but none more famous than his Grand Slam victory at the French Open in 1989. The 17-year-old Chang faced World No. 1 and three-time champion Ivan Lendl, and won in a five-set epic that lasted well over four hours. Chang never reached No. 1 in the world and he never won another Grand Slam after his win in 1989. He was a runner-up three times. Chang still is considered one of the best defenders in history, thanks to his blinding speed and recovery. 20. Thomas Muster (AUT) Career Titles: 44 Career Grand Slams: 1 Dubbed the "King of Clay" in the 1990s, his lone Grand Slam came at the French Open in 1995, where he defeated Michael Chang. Although he never won the event again, he won nearly all of his career ATP titles on clay courts.

The southpaw won 40 out of his 44 tournament wins on the sands. The skinny Austrian reached the world No. 1 ranking in the early stages of 1996, but he did not hold it for long. He won a title he probably never wanted in 1990, when he was awarded the ATP's "Comeback Player of the Year." 19. Gustavo Kuerten (BRA) Career Titles: 20 Career Grand Slams: 3 Guga Kuerten was easily the best Brazilian to ever play the game. He was a clay court specialist who won all three of his Grand Slam titles at the French Open, in 1997, 2000 and 2001. Despite never making it past the quarterfinals in any other Grand Slam event, Guga was practically automatic at Roland Garros. The vast majority of Kuerten's ATP titles came on clay, although he did have several hard court championships mixed in. He also dabbled in doubles towards the end of his career, teaming up with fellow Brazilian Fernando Meligeni to win five ATP titles. 18.

Ilie Nastase (ROM) Career Titles: 57 Career Grand Slams: 2 Nastase won Grand Slam titles in every way possible. He won two in singles, three in doubles, and two more in mixed doubles. His most impressive win was over Arthur Ashe in the 1972 US Open, where it took the Romanian five sets and close to five hours to seal the deal. The versatile Nastase won ATP events on all surfaces, too. He may have possibly been one of the best carpet court players in history, as he won practically every carpet tournament he entered during the 1970s. 17. Jim Courier (USA) Career Titles: 23 Career Grand Slams: 4 Courier started out his career with a bang, defeating fellow young star Andre Agassi in five sets at the French Open. He would go on to win four Grand Slam titles, two at Roland Garros and two more in Melbourne. Courier faced his arch-nemesis, Stefan Edberg, three times in Grand Slam finals, winning two of them. He spent 58 weeks ranked at No. 1 and despite having a decent game on all surfaces, the majority of his tournament wins came on hard courts.

Courier founded the non-profit organization "Courier's Kids" to help children play tennis after his retirement. 16. John Newcombe (AUS) Career Titles: 32 (68 in total) Career Grand Slams: 5 Newcombe had a very productive career as a singles player, winning multiple titles at the US Open, Australian Open and Wimbledon. His signature match was a victory over Ken Rosewall at Wimbledon in 1970. However, Newcombe may be most famous for his ATP-record 12 Grand Slam titles in doubles, many with fellow Aussie Tony Roche as a partner. Career Titles: 33 Career Grand Slams: 3 Ashe was not only a leader on the court for advancement of American tennis, but also an activist in social issues as well. Ashe won every Grand Slam event except the French Open. He defeated fellow American Jimmy Connors in 1975 at Wimbledon to claim his final championship. He had a rivalry with Roy Emerson before the Open Era in the early 1960s. He was the first African-American to win a Grand Slam, and he was also a major activist in the worldwide fight against AIDS. 14.

Guillermo Vilas (ARG) Career Titles: 62 Career Grand Slams: 4 Vilas was a southpaw baseliner in an era where players commonly would serve and volley. He was the first South American male to ever win a Grand Slam event when he defeated Brian Gottfried at Roland Garros. He would win four Grand Slams in total. Vilas holds two impressive ATP records. First, he had a 46-match winning streak on all surfaces in 1977 which still hasn't come close to falling. Second, he won the most titles in a season, also in 1977, with 16 ATP Tour championships. 13. Stefan Edberg (SWE) Career Titles: 42 Career Grand Slams: 6 The big Swede was also big on serve-and-volley. He is one of the few players to ever be ranked No. 1 in the world in singles and doubles at the same time. Edberg won every Grand Slam event twice except the French Open, in which he made it to the final and lost to Michael Chang.

He was fierce rivals with Boris Becker; they met at Wimbledon three consecutive years (1988-90). Edberg took two of those crowns. He also won two doubles crowns with fellow Swede and doubles titan Anders Jarryd. 12. Boris Becker (GER) Career Titles: 49 Career Grand Slams: 6 Boris Becker accomplished just about everything a tennis player could possibly imagine. He won six career Grand Slam titles (three at Wimbledon), won an Olympic Gold in Barcelona, and led the West Germany Davis Cup team to a dramatic victory over the United States in 1989 where he beat Andre Agassi in five brutal sets. Becker won an unheard of 26 titles on indoor carpet courts over the course of his career, still a record today. Bizarrely enough with how tremendous of a singles player he was, he reached a higher mark in doubles first, despite never winning a Grand Slam doubles event. 11. Mats Wilander (SWE) Career Titles: 33 Career Grand Slams: 7 Mats Wilander is in exclusive company because he can say that he has won a Grand Slam on all three surfaces (the other two are Rafael Nadal and Jimmy Connors).

Although he never won Wimbledon, his grass title came at the Australian Open when it was still played on lawn. The all-purpose Wilander also won a Grand Slam in doubles, and reached finals two more times. He was at his best when playing on clay, where he won the French Open three times, defeating Guillermo Vilas in the first and Ivan Lendl in the second. Career Titles: 32 Career Grand Slams: 6 Don't expect the Raging Bull to sit here for the rest of his career. Nadal has already put together a phenomenal body of work, and he's only 22. He has won Grand Slams on all surfaces and has put himself in prime position to become only the second man in Open Era history to win all four Grand Slams in a year. Although Nadal calls the red clay of Roland Garros home, he has certainly expanded his horizons. His rivalry with Roger Federer may end up being the best of all-time. 9.

Ken Rosewall (AUS) Career Titles: 25 (132 in total) Career Grand Slams: 6 (12 in total) Ken Rosewall's picture should show up in the dictionary under the word "consistency." He was a Top 20 player in the world for 25 straight years, and even won the Australian Open at 38 years old. The minuscule Rosewall (5'7" and 145 pounds), played with constant agility and had a never-ending motor. Although Rosewall won the majority of his tournaments before the Open Era, he was still winning Grand Slam events deep into his 30s, where he won three of them after his 35th birthday. Talk about impressive. 8. Ivan Lendl (CZE) Career Titles: 94 Career Grand Slams: 8 Lendl, despite winning eight career Grand Slams, may be better known for another statistic. He has competed in an ATP-record 19 Grand Slam finals and made it to at least one in each of 11 consecutive years. He helped to usher in a Power Era of tennis, utilizing a heavy topspin forehands from the baseline.

He won every Grand Slam event except Wimbledon, despite making it to the finals in two consecutive years. The lovable loser from the Czech Republic is second all-time in the Open Era for career titles. 7. Jimmy Connors (USA) Career Titles: 109 Career Grand Slams: 8 Jimbo Connors was one of the best to ever play the game, and yet he doesn't even get serious contention for the best American player in the Open Era! Connors won an ATP-record 109 career titles and added a friendly eight Grand Slams to go with it. He could dominate all surfaces at any time and spent a mundane 268 total weeks at No. 1 in the world. Connors also double dipped for a while with Ilie Nastase, where the duo won two Grand Slams (Wimbledon & the US Open). Jimbo also holds the strange record of being the only man to win the US Open on three different surfaces. 6. John McEnroe (USA) Career Titles: 77 Career Grand Slams: 7 Yes, Johnny Mac, we are serious. You are sixth best in the Open Era.

Although John McEnroe was one of the best to ever play, he will be most remembered for his Hall of Fame conniptions on the court. He had intense rivalries with any player who would give him a decent match (mainly Borg, Connors, and Lendl). Despite McEnroe never winning the French or Australian Open, he more than made up for it in Wimbledon and US Open titles. His most famous match without doubt would be the 1980 Wimbledon final against Bjorn Borg, which Borg ended up winning 8-6 in the fifth set. 5. Andre Agassi (USA) Career Titles: 60 Career Grand Slams: 8 The Wonder Boy, Andre Agassi didn't turn out so bad after all. He is the only male player to complete a career Golden Slam (all four Grand Slam events plus an Olympic gold). Dubbed the best serve-returner in history by many of the top players who have faced Agassi, he had insane hand-eye coordination. He was a truly dominant force on the hard courts, winning 46 of his 60 career titles on the concrete, but he was no slouch on other surfaces. The only grass court tournament he won happened to be called Wimbledon.

He is married to former WTA star Steffi Graf. 4. Pete Sampras (USA) Career Titles: 64 Career Grand Slams: 14 Pistol Pete Sampras will always be remembered for his mind-blowing seven Wimbledon singles championships. Sampras had literally no weaknesses in his game, and could use any weapon at any time. His serve could win points. His forehand was deadly. And his net game was unparalleled. His 14 career Grand Slams remain an Open Era record. His only weakness may have been his complete inability to win on clay. He made it to the Roland Garros semifinals just once in his career, and never went any further. He was a prime-time performer who had an 84 percent winning percentage in Grand Slams. 3. Roger Federer (SUI) Career Titles: 57 Career Grand Slams: 13 You can't say enough about Roger Federer. The Swiss master-tactician has already nearly matched Pete Sampras' record 14 Grand Slams, and Federer has done it in half the time. He combines a mixture of power and shot-making that has dazzled crowds around the world for many years.

He remains fierce rivals with Rafael Nadal. Nadal has mauled Federer on clay, while Federer still has the upper hand on grass and hard courts in terms of victories. If Federer can stay healthy, he could possibly reach Connors' mark for career titles too. 2. Bjorn Borg (SWE) Career Titles: 63 Career Grand Slams: 11 Borg was a multi-faceted machine who could transition his game to any surface. He won back-to-back French Open and Wimbledon titles three straight times. Rafael Nadal has done that feat only once. He currently holds the record for most French Open titles won, with six, but that record could fall in the near future. Borg made the game look like a stroll in the park. In a game that was evolving away from finesse, he used his racquet like a magic wand to return everything in sight. Although for a guy that couldn't stand being second best, that's where he stands here. 1. Rod Laver (AUS) Career Titles: 40 (198 in total) Career Grand Slams: 5 (11 in total) Finally, the best player of all time.

Laver is the only man in Open Era history to complete a calendar year Grand Slam, where he won all four titles in 1969. The miniature left-hander from Rockhampton, Australia, did things never before seen with a racquet. He revolutionized the way the game was played...spinning the ball and expert volleys. He is credited with 198 singles titles (most before the Open Era), but his sheer dominance over the entire field was brilliance on a level never seen again. Laver also showcased his mastery of the doubles game while partnered with Roy Emerson, where the two won in Melbourne and Wimbledon. He also has a stadium named after him.

Question: Who won the first men's US Tennis Open, in 1968?
Answer: Arthur Ash