User:Don Lope/Sandbox US Open

The US Open^[a] is an annual tennis tournament created in 1881 and played on outdoor hard courts^[b] at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, New York City, United States.^[1] The men's singles was the first event contested in 1881.^[2] The US Open is played during two weeks in late August, early September, and has been chronologically the last of the four Grand Slam tournaments of the tennis season since 1987.^[3]

Newport (1881–1914), Forest Hills (1915–1920, 1924–1977), and Philadelphia (1921–1923) all held the event before it settled in 1978 at the USTA National Tennis Center, now USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, in New York City.^[4] The inaugural tournament, in 1881, was reserved to United States National Lawn Tennis Association (USNLTA) clubs members, before the championships opened to international competition.^[2]

The men's singles' rules have undergone several changes since the first edition. From 1884 to 1911, the event started with a knockout phase, the All-Comers singles, whose winner then faced the defending champion in a challenge round. The All-Comers winner was awarded the title six times (1888, 1893, 1898, 1901, 1904, 1907) in the absence of the previous year's champion. The challenge round system was abolished with the 1912 edition.^[5] Since 1881, all matches but the All-Comers final and the challenge round were played at the best-of-three sets, before the event switched to best-of-five for all rounds in 1886. Best-of-three sets matches were reintroduced for early rounds in 1917, from 1943 to 1945, and from 1975 to 1978.^[5] Before 1884, the winner of the next game at five games – all took the set in every match except the All-Comers final and the challenge round, which were won with six games and a two games advantage. This advantage format was introduced for the final sets of early rounds in 1884, and used for all sets in all rounds from 1887 to 1969.^[5] The tie-break system was introduced in 1970 for all sets, in its best-of-nine points sudden death version until 1974, and in its best-of-12 points lingering death version since 1975.^[5][6][7] The court surface changed twice, from grass (1881–1974), to Har-Tru clay (1975–1977), to hard courts, since 1978.^[8]

The champion receives a full-size replica of the event's trophy engraved with his name.^[9] In 2008, the winner received prize money of $1,500,000.^[10] A bonus pool of $1,000,000 is also offered to US Open champions having clinched the first place of the US Open Series.^[11]

Richard Sears (winner, 1881–1887), William Larned (winner, 1901–1902, 1907–1911) and Bill Tilden (winner, 1920–1925, 1929) hold the all-time record for most titles in the men's singles with seven victories each. Four of Sears' wins and all of Larned's, however, came within the challenge round format, and they won respectively only thrice and twice after going through a complete draw. Sears also holds the all-time record for most consecutive titles with seven from 1881 to 1887. Without the challenge round, the record stands at six, and is held by Tilden (1920–1925).^[3]