The Most Influential Players, Innovators and Leaders Over 50 Years of The US Open
Tennis|Sept Oct 2018

In the five decades since the first US Open, these are the players, innovators and newsmakers whose contributions have helped make it one of our nation’s essential sporting events

Stephen Tignor
The Most Influential Players, Innovators and Leaders Over 50 Years of The US Open

The US Open would seem, at first glance, to run on autopilot. Every year, the grounds look a little sleeker, the crowds feel a little bigger, and the prize money gets a little larger. This tournament, borne from the risky experiment of Open tennis in 1968, has proven to be one of the most resounding success stories in sports over the last 50 years.

But you don’t go from a $100,000 purse at Forest Hills in ’68 to a $50 million purse at Flushing Meadows in 2018 without a lot of help from a lot of people. To keep bringing in fans and keep pushing forward, you need stars on the court, and visionaries off it.

In honor of the US Open’s golden anniversary, we highlight 15 men and women whose impact on the tournament continues to be felt today.

PLAYER

Arthur Ashe

Virtually all young tennis players dream of winning their national championships. For Ashe, who grew up in Richmond, VA, in the 1940s, the idea of playing them must have seemed fanciful enough. Like all African-American players before 1950—the year Althea Gibson broke tennis’ color barrier at Forest Hills— Ashe wouldn’t have been allowed to play the U.S. Nationals.

Ashe would make the most of Gibson’s breakthrough. In 1968, nine years after his debut at Forest Hills, Ashe became the first black man to win the title there.

Ashe’s win wasn’t just historic. His popularity with fans, his telegenic presence—he was the first player at a major event to wear non-white clothing—and the media attention he generated helped set off the early-’70s tennis boom in the United States, and bring so many fans to Forest Hills that the US Open would soon need to move to a larger facility in Flushing Meadows.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Sept Oct 2018-Ausgabe von Tennis.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Sept Oct 2018-Ausgabe von Tennis.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS TENNISAlle anzeigen
The Tennis Conversation: Jenson Brooksby, a piano man
Tennis

The Tennis Conversation: Jenson Brooksby, a piano man

Billy Joel may be a New York City icon, but the fans in Queens should start getting to know this piano man

time-read
4 Minuten  |
September - October 2021
The Five-Step Sit-Down Plan
Tennis

The Five-Step Sit-Down Plan

Don’t neglect the value of a smart changeover routine

time-read
2 Minuten  |
September - October 2021
MAKING THE TURN
Tennis

MAKING THE TURN

Six years after saying goodbye to the protour grind, Mardy Fish may be more active than ever—on the court, on the course, and helping combat a struggle anyone can encounter

time-read
9 Minuten  |
September - October 2021
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Tennis

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Queens is known for its gastronomy as much as its tennis. Daniil Medvedev, equal parts sugar and spice, hopes to add a unique flavor to the borough as he vies for his first major

time-read
9 Minuten  |
September - October 2021
SUMMER IN THE CITIES
Tennis

SUMMER IN THE CITIES

Broadway may not re-open until mid September, but tennis offers its own brand of live theatre in the preceding months

time-read
2 Minuten  |
September - October 2021
REOPEN SEASON
Tennis

REOPEN SEASON

The pandemic halted tennis as an up-close experience— but is now giving way to pandemonium among crowds. As the pro game reopens this summer and fans gather again, we’re realizing what we’ve been missing for so long

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
September - October 2021
Court of Appeals
Tennis

Court of Appeals

Resolving Your Rules Questions&Quarrels

time-read
3 Minuten  |
September - October 2021
An Open Mind: New York's Slam has no shortage of history, but it always evolves
Tennis

An Open Mind: New York's Slam has no shortage of history, but it always evolves

In the last decade, Arthur Ashe Stadium got a roof, and a new Grandstand and Louis Armstrong Stadium debuted.

time-read
2 Minuten  |
September - October 2021
Those Fall Feels
Tennis

Those Fall Feels

The end of summer may be bittersweet, but getting lost amid the backroads of NEW ENGLAND adds a silver—and golden—lining to the season change. Pack a few sweaters along with your tennis kit and prepare for leaf-peeping, scenic drives and delicious autumnal ingredients to pair with your forehands

time-read
6 Minuten  |
September - October 2021
Tennis

Court of Appeals

Resolving Your Rules Questions & Quarrels

time-read
3 Minuten  |
May - June 2021