2018 US Open Tennis Preview
The US Open is one of the most epic tennis tournaments in the world. One of the four Grand Slams of tennis, it is a tournament steeped in history. The US Open is the modern version of the oldest tennis tournament in history which began proceedings way back in the year 1881. The US Open also has the distinction of being the only Grand Slam that used a tie-breaker.
The 2018 edition of the tournament is not too far now and that means the best men’s and women’s players in the world will make their way to the Big Apple to take part in one of the most prestigious tennis events in the world. It promises to be another unforgettable edition.
If you are a tennis fan, then here is a little 2018 US Open preview for you:
The Venue
The US Open is held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Named after the legendary Billie Jean King, the venue has been home to the US Open since 1978. The entire facility is spread over 46.5 acres and has 33 courts altogether.
It has three tennis stadiums which interestingly also happen to be the biggest in the entire world. The Arthur Ashe Stadium is the largest of the three and can host up to 23,000 fans at a time. The brand new Louis Armstrong Stadium will also open for this year’s US Open. It has a retractable roof which will allow for tennis matches to be played during nighttime as well.
The Date
The 2018 edition of the US Open will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Open Era. The US Open is scheduled to start on August 27 and it will end on September 9.
The Players
Since the US Open is one of the four most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world, the best male and female tennis players in the world compete in it. The prize money will be increased as well. In 2017, the total prize money was $50 million. That meant that the winners of the singles competition pocketed $3.7 million each.
There are still a few more weeks to go till the US Open kicks off this year so the final line-up is yet to be announced. There might be injuries before the tournament and that might rule out a few players. Rest assured, any player who is fit enough to compete will take part in this year’s US Open.
What is New?
Some new rules will also be put in place for the 2018 US Open. Every player will now have just 25 seconds to serve, failing which they will be penalized. The players will also be allowed only 7 minutes to warm up before every match. Last but not the least, the coaches will be barred from communicating with the players all through the match.
Since this is a special year for the US Open with it being the 50th edition of the Open Era, let us take a look at a few interesting facts about this historic tournament:
- The 2017 US Open was the first tennis tournament in history to have a total prize money topping $50 million.
- Roger Federer has won 5 US Open titles, which is an Open Era men’s record.
- Chris Evert and Serena Williams have both won 6 women’s US Open titles, which is an Open Era record.
