The US Open 2023 is in full swing, and Shutterstock Editorial has you covered with all the best US Open highlights straight from Queens, New York.
Break out the Honey Deuces—the 2023 US Open is here! Whether you’ll be in the seats at New York’s USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center or watching the US Open coverage on ESPN+ (in the United States), Shutterstock Editorial is here with the very best front row US Open highlights.
The final leg of this year’s Grand Slam tennis series—which includes the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon—the 2023 US Open is sure to serve up plenty of action.
Still, many questions, just like balls, are in the air. Will the Wimbledon 2023 and US Open 2022 champion, Carlos Alcaraz, beat out returning three-time US Open winner Novak Djokovic? Can Coco Gauff repeat her Western & Southern Open victory, to defeat the reigning Women’s Singles champion, Iga Świątek, and take home her first Grand Slam win?
And, which stars will be cheering in the stands?
Shutterstock Editorial is here with answers throughout the game play. From on-court action, to candid reactions, iconic moments, and celebrity sightings, catch all the US Open highlights here!
The History of the US Open Tennis Championships
While the US Open has existed in some form since 1881, this tennis tournament has seen plenty of change along the way—including its name.
Evolved from the United States Open Tennis Championships, one of the oldest Men’s Singles and Doubles competition championships in the world, the US Open became the tournament we know it as today in 1968.
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By that point, Women’s Singles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles were already a part of the championships, and the tournament moved to the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, Queens. That same year, American tennis player Arthur Ashe won the historic first official US Open Men’s Singles title.
All About Arthur Ashe Stadium
In 1997, the crown jewel of the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) National Tennis Center at Corona Park in Queens, New York, opened to the public. Replacing the Louis Armstrong Stadium, Arthur Ashe is the largest and primary venue at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center—and the largest tennis-only venue in the world.
The state-of-the-art stadium cost $254 million to complete, has 22,000 seats, 90 luxury suites, is lit for night play, features painted blue courts, and includes a lightweight retractable roof—which was completed in 2016.
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Is the US Open Played on Grass or Clay?
Because the US Open has been played on a variety of courts over the years, it has also been played on a variety of surfaces.
Was the US Open ever played on grass? Yes, from 1881 to 1974 it was.
Was the US Open ever played on clay? Yes, that happened from 1975 to 1977.
Is the US Open currently played on grass or clay? Neither. Since 1978, US Open tennis has been played on DecoTurf®, a brand of hard-court surface made of a layer of acrylic, resin, rubber, and silica all atop an asphalt (or concrete) base.
Who Won the US Open 2022?
The 2022 US Open was a passing of the torch. While Poland’s 21-year-old Iga Świątek and Spain’s 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz each took home their first US Open singles win, America’s own Serena Williams‘ farewell to tennis loomed over the entirety of the tournament.
Also signaling the dawn of a new era, the junior wheelchair competition made its debut at the US Open in 2022.
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Who Won the Most US Open Titles?
To answer that question, Grand Slam tennis first needs to be split between the Open Era and everything before that. The Open Era began in 1968 when tournaments began allowing professional players to compete with amateurs.
Looking at the Open Era, iconic Czech-American tennis player Martina Navratilova has taken home the most US Open titles with 16 wins from 1977 to 2006. America’s Bob Bryan holds the same record for men with nine wins.
Switzerland’s Roger Federer has the most Men’s Singles titles with five consecutive wins from 2004 to 2008. (Americans Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors also have five wins, but non-consecutively).
In Women’s Singles, Americans Chris Evert and Serena Williams are tied with six wins.
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In 1990, Pete Sampras also became the youngest player to win his first Men’s Singles title at the US Open a few days after turning 19. For the Women’s Singles, fellow American Tracy Austin did the same in 1979 at 16.
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Australia’s Ken Rosewall was the oldest Men’s Singles winner at 35 in 1970, and 33-year-old Flavia Pennetta of Italy did the same for Women’s Singles.
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Also of note in 2023, America’s Venus Williams will be the oldest single’s player at this year’s US Open at 43-years-old. Not to be outdone, Martina Navratilova was a month shy of turning 50 when she won the Mixed Doubles title with Bob Bryan in 2006.
What Is the Prize for Winning the US Open?
In 1968, the US Open was a $100,000 event, making it the richest tournament in tennis. However, as an amateur, Men’s Singles winner Arthur Ashe was ineligible for his $14,000 men’s singles prize and received a mere $20 per diem instead. Women’s Singles winner Virginia Wade took home $6,000 to Great Britain.
Cut to 1973—thanks to an effort led by Billie Jean King—the US Open became the first sporting event in history to offer equal prize money for men and women competitors. This year marks the 50-year-anniversary of the accomplishment, when Margaret Smith Court and John Newcombe were both awarded checks of $25,000 for their respective singles championships.
Today, the 2023 US Open sets a new, all-time high with $65 million in total prize compensation. Both the men’s and women’s singles champions will take home $3 million in prize money, runners up will receive $1.5 million each, and men’s and women’s doubles teams get $700,000.
In addition to the record earnings, the winners of Men’s and Women’s Singles, Doubles, and Mixed Doubles take home 1:1 replicas of the original US OPEN® Championship trophies. Crafted by Tiffany & Co.—the official maker of the trophies since 1987—these hand-engraved silver vessels each take 60 hours over four months to complete.
What Is the US Open Schedule?
After four rounds of qualifying matches, which run from August 22 to 25, the 2023 US Open sprints into action on August 28.
In addition to Mixed Doubles, Quad Wheelchair Singles, Quad Wheelchair Doubles, Men’s & Women’s Wheelchair Singles, Men’s & Women’s Wheelchair Doubles, the tournament schedule includes:
August 28 & 29: Men’s & Women’s Singles First Round
August 30 & 31: Men’s & Women’s Singles Second Round; Men’s & Women’s Doubles First Round
September 01 & 02: Men’s & Women’s Singles Third Round; Men’s & Women’s Doubles Second Round
September 03 & 04: Men’s & Women’s Singles Round of 16; Men’s & Women’s Doubles Third Round
September 05 & 06: Men’s & Women’s Singles Quarter-Finals; Men’s & Women’s Doubles Quarter-Finals
September 07: Women’s Singles Semi-Finals; Men’s Doubles Semi-Finals
September 08: Men’s Singles Semi-Finals; Men’s Doubles Finals; Women’s Doubles Semi-Finals
September 09: Men’s Doubles Finals; Women’s Singles Finals
September 10: Women’s Doubles Finals; Men’s Singles Finals
US Open Highlights Day 01: August 28
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The first day of the 2023 US Open was off to a great—albeit cloudy—start with Men’s and Women’s Singles. Following defending champion Iga Światek’s first round win, Americans Frances Tiafoe and Learner Tien battled it out at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
On Court 10, fellow American Ben Shelton nabbed an early victory over Argentina’s Pedro Cachin.
Over at the Grandstand Stadium, 2020’s Austrian US Open champ Dominic Thiem beat out Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan, while Denmark’s Holger Rune took a loss to Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena on Court 5, and Japanese-British player Yuriko Lily Miyazaki moved on over Russia’s Margarita Betova.
Later that evening, Coco Gauff won the match and crowd—which included actor Danny DeVito, Former US President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama, and American Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour.
After an extended two hour and 51 minute match, the American player took down Germany’s Laura Siegemund in three sets.
The star-studded audience was also on-hand to honor the 50th anniversary of equal prize money. Michelle Obama welcomed champion of the cause, and sport, Billie Jean King, to commemorate the accomplishment.
The US Open highlights went deep into the evening hours, when Serbia’s Novak Djokovic marked his return to Arthur Ashe Stadium in a victory against France’s Alexandre Muller.
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