Players With Most US Open Titles: The US Open is a really big tennis tournament, and it’s one of the super important Grand Slam tournaments. It happens every year in New York City, and it’s special because it’s the only Grand Slam where they play on hard courts.
The US Open tennis tournament happens in August or September in New York City at a place the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows.
US Open Story
In 1881, they had the first men’s US National Championships. Then, in 1887, they started the women’s competition. At first, these competitions didn’t happen in New York. The men played in Newport, Rhode Island, at the Newport Casino, which is now where the Newport ATP tournament is held. The ladies played at the Philadelphia Cricket Club in Philadelphia.
In 1915, they moved the games to the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, which is in Queens, New York. Back then, they played on grass until 1974, and then they switched to clay courts (Har-Tru) for three years. In 1978, they moved the tournament a bit to Flushing Meadows in New York, and they started playing on hard courts. At first, they used DecoTurf, and since 2020, they’ve been using Laykold.
Traditionally, the women’s singles final is on Saturday, and the men’s final is on Sunday. But in 2008, there was some rain, and they had to delay a women’s semi-final to the men’s final day. So, for the first time since 1987, the men’s final happened on a Monday. This happened again in the following four years due to rain. They used to have a Super Saturday where both the men’s semi-finals and the women’s final were scheduled, and this made it hard to deal with rain delays.
Because of this, starting in 2013, they decided to postpone both the women’s and men’s finals by one day. So, the men’s final went back to happening on Monday, and they got rid of Super Saturday. Since 2016, they’ve been playing on the covered Arthur Ashe Court during the second week, so rain cancellations or delays are not a problem anymore. This means they could go back to the old format of having the women’s final on Saturday and the men’s final on Sunday.
Also, they made a rule that women can have a 10-minute break between the second and third sets in an air-conditioned area. Since August 2018, men can also have a break between the third and fourth sets if it’s hotter than 35°C.
In 2020, the US Open was the second Grand Slam tournament of the year because the French Open got postponed to the autumn, and the Wimbledon Championships were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The US Open in 2022 took place in September. Carlos Alcaraz won the men’s singles championship by beating Casper Ruud in the final match. He made history by becoming the youngest male player to win the US Open since Pete Sampras did it back in 1990.
Novak Djokovic won the US Open 2023 by beating Daniil Medvedev in three sets. This victory gave him his fourth US Open title and his 24th Grand Slam singles championship. With this win, Djokovic is now tied with Margaret Court for the most Grand Slam titles in tennis history.
The Players With Most US Open Titles (Men’s Singles)
The players who have won it the most times, three each, are Bill Tilden, William Larned, and Richard Sears. These three players were really great in tennis, and their matches were super exciting.
1. Bill Tilden
| Country | (USA) |
|---|---|
| Amateur Era | 7 |
| Open Era | 0 |
| Total Titles | 7 |
| Year | 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1929 |
Bill Tilden is tied for the most US Open titles ever, with 7 wins, just like Richard Sears and Bill Larned. He got his first US Open title in 1920 and his last in 1929. He also won in 1918, but back then, the tournament wasn’t as big as it is now.
People think Bill Tilden was one of the best tennis players ever. He was the best amateur player in the world for six years in a row, from 1920 to 1925, and he won 14 Grand Slam tournaments. He was also good as a professional player, winning three big tournaments.
But there are some things in his personal life that make people look at him differently. He was openly gay when it wasn’t accepted, and he was accused of a serious crime. Even with these issues, he’s still considered one of the greatest tennis players ever because of his incredible skills on the court.
2. William Larned
| Country | (USA) |
|---|---|
| Amateur Era | 7 |
| Open Era | 0 |
| Total Titles | 7 |
| Year | 1901, 1902, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911 |
William Larned, just like Richard Sears and Bill Tilden, won 7 US Open titles, which is the most ever. His first win was in 1901, and he got his last in 1911.
Larned was a big deal in American tennis around the early 1900s. He was famous for his strong hits and his ability to play well all over the court. He was also on the US Davis Cup team, and they won in 1902.
Larned’s first US Open win was in 1881, and it didn’t become a Grand Slam event until 1924. But still, Larned’s achievements are impressive, and he’s seen as one of the best tennis players from the early 1900s.
3. Richard Sears
| Country | (USA) |
|---|---|
| Amateur Era | 7 |
| Open Era | 0 |
| Total Titles | 7 |
| Year | 1881*, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887 |
Richard Sears is a tennis legend who won 7 US Open titles. He won his first in 1881. Interestingly, he’s the only player who won the US Open in its first seven years.
Sears was a big deal in American tennis in the late 1800s. People knew him for being great all over the court and for making incredible winning shots from anywhere. He was also really smart when he played, and he could outsmart his opponents.
Even today, people still talk about Sears’s wins at the US Open. He’s seen as one of the greatest tennis players ever, and his legacy is strong.
4. Pete Sampras
| Country | (USA) |
|---|---|
| Amateur Era | 0 |
| Open Era | 5 |
| Total Titles | 5 |
| Year | 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2002 |
Pete Sampras won the US Open five times. He won in 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, and 2002. This ties him with Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer for the most US Open wins by a male player in the Open Era.
Sampras was really good at playing on the hard courts of the US Open during the 1990s. People remember him for having a strong serve and being able to hit winning shots from anywhere on the court. He also had a strong mind and could stay calm when the game got tough.
Sampras’s first big win was at the 1990 US Open, and it made him really famous. In total, he won 14 big tournaments, including 7 at Wimbledon. He stopped playing tennis professionally in 2003. Many consider him one of the best tennis players ever.
5. Jimmy Connors
| Country | (USA) |
|---|---|
| Amateur Era | 0 |
| Open Era | 5 |
| Total Titles | 5 |
| Year | 1974, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1983 |
Jimmy Connors won the US Open five times. He became the champion in 1974, 1976, 1978, 1982, and 1983. He was really good at playing on the hard courts of the US Open during the 1970s and 1980s. People remember him for playing aggressively from the baseline and making important shots when he needed to. He was also known for having a strong temper, which sometimes caused problems, but it also helped him stay motivated.
In 1974, Connors won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open, which made him a superstar. In total, he won 12 big tournaments, including 2 at Wimbledon. He stopped playing professional tennis in 1996.
Besides his 5 US Open titles, Connors also won 109 singles titles overall, which is the most by any male player in the Open Era. He was also the world’s No. 1 player for a total of 268 weeks, which is the fifth-highest of all time.
6. Roger Federer
| Country | (SUI) |
|---|---|
| Amateur Era | 0 |
| Open Era | 5 |
| Total Titles | 5 |
| Year | 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 |
Roger Federer has won the US Open five times. He won in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. He is a tennis legend, considered one of the best ever. He’s won 20 Grand Slam singles titles, which is the third-most in history. He’s famous for his graceful playing style and his knack for making impressive shots from anywhere on the court.
Federer’s US Open wins happened during the early 2000s when he was on top of his game. He won the tournament five times in a row from 2004 to 2008, a record that hasn’t been matched since. During this period, he also won the Australian Open four times and Wimbledon eight times. Federer is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players ever.
In addition to his 5 US Open titles, Federer has won 103 singles titles overall, which is the second most by any male player in the Open Era. He was also the world’s No. 1 player for a total of 310 weeks, which is the second-most in history.
| US Open Titles | Player | Amateur era | Open era | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | John McEnroe (USA) | 0 | 4 | 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984 |
| 4 | Rafael Nadal (ESP) | 0 | 4 | 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019 |
| 4 | Robert Wrenn (USA) | 4 | 0 | 1893, 1894, 1896, 1897 |
| 4 | Novak Djokovic (SRB) | 0 | 4 | 2011, 2015, 2018, 2023 |
| 3 | Ivan Lendl (TCH) | 0 | 3 | 1985, 1986, 1987 |
| 3 | Oliver Campbell (USA) | 3 | 0 | 1890, 1891, 1892 |
| 3 | Fred Perry (GBR) | 3 | 0 | 1933, 1934, 1936 |
| 3 | Malcolm Whitman (USA) | 3 | 0 | 1898, 1899, 1900 |
| 2 | Andre Agassi (USA) | 0 | 2 | 1994, 1999 |
| 2 | Don Budge (USA) | 2 | 0 | 1937, 1938 |
| 2 | Stefan Edberg (SWE) | 0 | 2 | 1991, 1992 |
| 2 | Roy Emerson (AUS) | 2 | 0 | 1961, 1964 |
| 2 | Neale Fraser (AUS) | 2 | 0 | 1959, 1960 |
| 2 | Pancho Gonzales (USA) | 2 | 0 | 1948, 1949 |
| 2 | Bill Johnston (USA) | 2 | 0 | 1915, 1919 |
| 2 | Jack Kramer (USA) | 2 | 0 | 1946, 1947 |
| 2 | René Lacoste (FRA) | 2 | 0 | 1926, 1927 |
| 2 | Rod Laver (AUS) | 1 | 1 | 1962, 1969 |
| 2 | Maurice McLoughlin (USA) | 2 | 0 | 1912, 1913 |
| 2 | Robert Lindley Murray (USA) | 2 | 0 | 1917, 1918 |
| 2 | John Newcombe (AUS) | 1 | 1 | 1967, 1973 |
| 2 | Frank Parker (USA) | 2 | 0 | 1944, 1945 |
| 2 | Patrick Rafter (AUS) | 0 | 2 | 1997, 1998 |
| 2 | Bobby Riggs (USA) | 2 | 0 | 1939, 1941 |
| 2 | Ken Rosewall (AUS) | 1 | 1 | 1956, 1970 |
| 2 | Frank Sedgman (AUS) | 2 | 0 | 1951, 1952 |
| 2 | Henry Slocum (USA) | 2 | 0 | 1888, 1889 |
| 2 | Tony Trabert (USA) | 2 | 0 | 1953, 1955 |
| 2 | Ellsworth Vines (USA) | 2 | 0 | 1931, 1932 |
| 2 | Richard Norris Williams (USA) | 2 | 0 | 1914, 1916 |
US Open Champions By Country
The United States leads with the most US Open champions, boasting 85 titles. Following them are Australia with 18 titles and Spain with 7 titles. Several other countries also have multiple US Open champions.
| All-time | Country | Amateur Era | Open Era |
|---|---|---|---|
| 85 | United States (USA) | 66 | 19 |
| 18 | Australia (AUS) | 12 | 6 |
| 7 | Spain (ESP) | 1 | 6 |
| 6 | Switzerland (SUI) | 0 | 6 |
| 5 | Great Britain (GBR) | 4 | 1 |
| 4 | Serbia (SRB) | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Czechoslovakia (TCH) | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | France (FRA) | 3 | 0 |
| 3 | Sweden (SWE) | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | Argentina (ARG) | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | Russia (RUS) | 0 | 2 |
| 1 | Austria (AUT) | 0 | 1 |
| 1 | Croatia (CRO) | 0 | 1 |
| 1 | Germany (GER) | 0 | 1 |
| 1 | Mexico (MEX) | 1 | 0 |
| 1 | Romania (ROU) | 0 | 1 |
