The US Open Series was the name given by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to a series of North American professional tennis tournaments leading up to and including the US Open. It was part of the "North American hard-court season".
| US Open Series | |
|---|---|
 2023 US Open Series | |
 | |
| Defunct tennis tournament | |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Abolished | 2023 |
| Location | United States |
| Surface | Hard-court |
| Website | USOpenSeries.com |
History
editThe Series was initially organized in 2004 as a way to focus more attention on American tennis tournaments by getting more of them on domestic television.[1] Until 2004, most summer North American tournaments were not on television, the exceptions being the prominent ATP Tour Masters 1000 events in Canada and Cincinnati. Since the inception of the series, Rafael Nadal is the only tennis player to win Canada, Cincinnati, and the US Open in a calendar year (2013), a feat referred to as the "Summer Slam" or the "North American Hardcourt Slam".[2][3]
Since the Series' inception, North American tournaments have shifted in and out of the Series. In 2023, its final year, the Series was made up of six tournaments: Newport, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Winston-Salem, Cleveland, and the US Open itself.[4] In 2024, the US Open Series website began redirecting to the US Open's official website, indicating the final end to the Series.[5]
Under the US Open's broadcast rights, ESPN held domestic rights to all US Open Series events from 2015 to 2019. The eight non-Masters tournaments received about 50 hours of television combined – about two hours on each day of their final weekends, chiefly on ESPN2. The Washington Open, which had been a part of the series since its 2004 founding, withdrew from the series starting with its 2015 edition due to frustrations over this lack of coverage and sold its exclusive coverage to Tennis Channel.[6][7] The tournament rejoined the US Open Series in 2019.[8] Since 2017, Tennis Channel broadcasts the US Open Series, except for the US Open itself, which is broadcast by ESPN.
Emirates sponsored the series under a deal in place from 2012 to 2016.[9] The $90 million, seven-year sponsorship deal was supposed to last through 2018, but Emirates decided to reallocate its commitment by sponsoring the line-calling technology on ESPN's US Open Series broadcasts.[10]
Tournaments
edit| Legend |
|---|
| Grand Slam Event |
| ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 |
| ATP Tour 500 and WTA 500 |
| ATP Tour 250 and WTA 250 |
| Week | Date | Men's Events | Women's Events |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 17 – July 23 | Newport Infosys Hall of Fame Open 2023 Champion:  Adrian Mannarino |
No Series Event Held This Week |
| 2 | July 24 – July 30 | Atlanta Atlanta Open 2023 Champion:  Taylor Fritz
|
No Series Event Held This Week |
| 3 | July 31 – August 6 | Washington D.C. Mubadala Citi DC Open 2023 Champion:  Dan Evans |
Washington D.C. Mubadala Citi DC Open 2023 Champion: Coco Gauff
|
| 4 | August 20 – August 26 | Winston-Salem Winston-Salem Open 2023 Champion:  Sebastian Baez |
Cleveland Tennis in the Land 2023 Champion:  Sara Sorribes Tormo
|
| 5-6 | August 28 – September 10 | New York US Open 2023 Champion:  Novak Djokovic |
New York US Open 2023 Champion: Coco Gauff
|
Past tournament winners
editMen
edit| Year | Newport | Los Angeles | Indianapolis/Atlanta | Washington | Montreal/Toronto | Cincinnati | New Haven/Winston-Salem |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Not US Open Series |  Haas (1/2) |
Roddick (1/5) |
 Hewitt (1/2) |
 Federer (1/9) |
Agassi (1/2) |
Hewitt (2/2)
|
| 2005 | Agassi (2/2) |
Ginepri (1/2) |
Roddick (2/5) |
Nadal (1/6) |
Federer (2/9) |
Blake (1/3)
| |
| 2006 | Haas (2/2) |
Blake (2/3) |
Clément (1/1) |
Federer (3/9) |
Roddick (3/5) |
 Davydenko (1/1)
| |
| 2007 |  Štěpánek (1/2) |
Tursunov (1/1) |
Roddick (4/5) |
Djokovic (1/6) |
Federer (4/9) |
Blake (3/3)
| |
| 2008 | Del Potro (1/4) |
Simon (1/1) |
Del Potro (2/4) |
Nadal (2/6) |
Murray (1/5) |
 Čilić (1/2)
| |
| 2009 | Querrey (1/3) |
Ginepri (2/2) |
Del Potro (3/4) |
Murray (2/5) |
Federer (5/9) |
Verdasco (1/1)
| |
| 2010 | Querrey (2/3) |
Fish (1/2) |
Nalbandian (1/1) |
Murray (3/5) |
Federer (6/9) |
 Stakhovsky (1/1)
| |
| 2011 |  Gulbis (1/1) |
Fish (2/2) |
Štěpánek (2/2) |
Djokovic (2/6) |
Murray (4/5) |
Isner (1/8)
| |
| 2012 | Querrey (3/3) |
Roddick (5/5) |
Dolgopolov (1/1) |
Djokovic (3/6) |
Federer (7/9) |
Isner (2/8)
| |
| 2013 | Not held | Isner (3/8) |
Del Potro (4/4) |
Nadal (3/6) |
Nadal (4/6) |
 Melzer (1/1)
| |
| 2014 | Isner (4/8) |
 Raonic (1/1) |
Tsonga (1/1) |
Federer (8/9) |
Rosol (1/1)
| ||
| 2015 | Isner (5/8) |
Not US Open Series | Murray (5/5) |
Federer (9/9) |
 Anderson (1/2)
| ||
| 2016 | Kyrgios (1/3) |
Djokovic (4/6) |
Čilić (2/2) |
Carreño Busta (1/1)
| |||
| 2017 | Isner (6/8) |
Zverev (1/2) |
 Dimitrov (1/1) |
Bautista Agut (1/1)
| |||
| 2018 | Isner (7/8) |
Nadal (5/6) |
Djokovic (5/6) |
Medvedev (1/3)
| |||
| 2019 | de Minaur (1/2) |
Kyrgios (2/3) |
Nadal (6/6) |
Medvedev (2/3) |
 Hurkacz (1/1)
| ||
| 2020 | Cancelled | Cancelled | Cancelled | Cancelled | Djokovic (6/6) |
Cancelled | |
| 2021 | Anderson (2/2) |
Isner (8/8) |
 Sinner (1/1) |
Medvedev (3/3) |
Zverev (2/2) |
 Ivashka (1/1)
| |
| 2022 | Cressy (1/1) |
de Minaur (2/2) |
Kyrgios (3/3) |
Not US Open Series | Ćorić(1/1) |
Mannarino (1/2)
| |
| 2023 | Mannarino (2/2) |
Fritz (1/1) |
Evans (1/1) |
Not US Open Series | Báez (1/1)
|
Women
edit| Year | Stanford/San José | San Diego/Carlsbad | Los Angeles/Washington | Cincinnati | Montreal/Toronto | New Haven/Cleveland |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Davenport (1/4) |
Davenport (2/4) |
Davenport (3/4) |
Not US Open Series | Mauresmo (1/1) |
Bovina (1/1)
|
| 2005 |  Clijsters (1/5) |
Pierce (1/1) |
Clijsters (2/5) |
Clijsters (3/5) |
Davenport (4/4)
| |
| 2006 | Clijsters (4/5) |
Sharapova (1/3) |
Dementieva (1/2) |
Ivanovic (1/2) |
Henin (1/2)
| |
| 2007 | Chakvetadze (1/1) |
Sharapova (2/3) |
Ivanovic (2/2) |
Henin (2/2) |
Kuznetsova (1/2)
| |
| 2008 | Wozniak (1/1) |
Not held | Safina (1/2) |
Safina (2/2) |
 Wozniacki (1/5)
| |
| 2009 | Bartoli (1/1) |
Pennetta (1/1) |
Janković (1/1) |
Dementieva (2/2) |
Wozniacki (2/5)
| |
| 2010 |  Azarenka (1/3) |
Kuznetsova (2/2) |
Not held | Clijsters (5/5) |
Wozniacki (3/5) |
Wozniacki (4/5)
|
| 2011 | S. Williams (1/7) |
Radwańska (1/3) |
Sharapova (3/3) |
S. Williams (2/7) |
Wozniacki (5/5)
| |
| 2012 | S. Williams (3/7) |
 Cibulková (1/2) |
Rybáriková (1/1) |
 Li (1/1) |
Kvitová (1/4) |
Kvitová (2/4)
|
| 2013 | Cibulková (2/2) |
Stosur (1/1) |
Not US Open Series | Azarenka (2/3) |
S. Williams (4/7) |
 Halep (1/3)
|
| 2014 | S. Williams (5/7) |
Not held | S. Williams (6/7) |
Radwańska (2/3) |
Kvitová (3/4)
| |
| 2015 | Kerber (1/1) |
Not US Open Series | S. Williams (7/7) |
Bencic (1/1) |
Kvitová (4/4)
| |
| 2016 | Konta (1/1) |
Not held | Ka. Plíšková (1/1) |
Halep (2/3) |
Radwańska (3/3)
| |
| 2017 | Keys (1/2) |
Muguruza (1/1) |
Svitolina (1/1) |
Gavrilova (1/1)
| ||
| 2018 | Buzărnescu (1/1) |
 Bertens (1/1) |
Halep (3/3) |
Sabalenka (1/1)
| ||
| 2019 | Zheng (1/1) |
Keys (2/2) |
Andreescu (1/1) |
Not held | ||
| 2020 | Cancelled | Azarenka (3/3) |
Cancelled | |||
| 2021 | Collins (1/1) |
Barty (1/1) |
Giorgi (1/1) |
 Kontaveit (1/1)
| ||
| 2022 |  Kasatkina (1/1) |
Not US Open Series | Garcia (1/1) |
Not US Open Series | Samsonova (1/1)
| |
| 2023 | Not held | Gauff (1/1) |
Not US Open Series | Sorribes Tormo (1/1)
|
Bonus Challenge
editUpon the Series' creation in 2004, the US Open Series Bonus Challenge was introduced. Each event in the series would award a certain number of points depending on the event's tier (such as Premier 5), with players accumulating points based on how they performed.[11] At the end of the Series, the top three male and top three female players with the most Bonus Challenge points would earn prize money in addition to the prize money earned from the individual tournaments. The amount depended on their placement in the Bonus Challenge standings and their US Open result. In 2010, for example, this amounted to $1 million for winning both the Bonus Challenge and the US Open itself.
Lleyton Hewitt and Lindsay Davenport were the top point-getters in 2004, Andy Roddick and Kim Clijsters won in 2005, and Andy Roddick and Ana Ivanovic won in 2006. Defending US Open champions Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova won in 2007. In 2005, whereas Roddick was upset in the first round against Gilles Müller at the Open, Clijsters became the first player to win both the US Open Series and the US Open, receiving $2.2 million, at the time the largest payday in women's sports. Clijsters defeated Frenchwoman Mary Pierce in straight sets: 6–3, 6–1.[12] In 2010 she won $2.2 million again, this time $1.7 million for the US Open title and $500,000 in bonus for second place in the US Open Series.[13] In 2007, Federer became the first male player and the second player overall to win the US Open Series and go on to win the US Open, winning $1.4 million plus the US Open Series bonus of $1 million, bringing his prize winning total to $2.4 million.[14] This topped Clijsters' $2.2 million as the biggest US Open payday to date. In 2013, Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal both won the US Open after also winning the US Open Series. Due to several considerable prize money increments over the years, Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal surpassed Roger Federer's US Open Series payday record by winning $3.6 million each, and they shared the record for the largest prize money paycheck in tennis history for a single tennis tournament.[15][16] In 2014, Serena Williams would repeat her previous year performance in winning both the US Open Series and the US Open. She now stands alone in the record for the biggest payday in tennis history, with a total amount of $4 million.[17] Starting from 2017, the US Open Series ceased featuring a Bonus Challenge.[18][19]
Points distribution
edit2008–2016
edit| Round | ATP Masters 1000 WTA Premier 5 |
ATP World Tour 500 & 250 WTA Premier |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | 100 |
70
|
| Finalist | 70 |
45
|
| Semifinalist | 45 |
25
|
| Quarterfinalist | 25 |
15
|
| Round of 16 | 15 |
0
|
2006–2007
edit| Round | ATP Masters Series WTA Tour Tier I |
ATP International Series WTA Tour Tier II |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | 100 |
50
|
| Finalist | 70 |
35
|
| Semifinalist | 45 |
22
|
| Quarterfinalist | 25 |
12
|
| Round of 16 | 15 |
0
|
2004–2005
edit| Round | ATP Masters Series WTA Tour Tier I |
WTA Tour Tier II | ATP International Series ($600,000 and above) |
ATP International Series (below $600,000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 100 |
50 |
40 |
35
|
| Finalist | 70 |
35 |
28 |
24
|
| Semifinalist | 45 |
22 |
18 |
15
|
| Quarterfinalist | 25 |
12 |
10 |
8
|
| Round of 16 | 15 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Series standings + performance at the US Open
editNote: From 2006 on, only players who earned points in at least two US Open Series events are eligible for the final (Top 3) standings.
| US Open results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| A | did not participate in the tournament | #R | lost in the early rounds of the tournament |
| QF | advanced to but not past the quarterfinals | SF | advanced to but not past the semifinals |
| F | advanced to the finals, tournament runner-up | W | won the tournament |
- 1 – Hewitt and Davenport finished first in 2004 final standings based on more match wins in US Open Series events.
- 2 – Nadal finished third in 2005 (over Roger Federer) based on more set wins in US Open Series events.
- 3 – Schnyder was placed third in 2007 because Justine Henin (who had more points – 100 for winning Toronto) only played one tournament and was therefore not eligible for the top three positions.
- 4 – Nadal won the 2008 series ahead of Murray because Nadal defeated Murray in Toronto, Canada.
- 5 – Pennetta finished second in the 2009 final standings based on more match wins in US Open Series events.
- 6 – Murray won the 2010 series ahead of Federer because Murray defeated Federer in Toronto.
- 7 – Kuznetsova finished third in 2010 (over Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova) based on more games won in US Open Series events (all three won 9 matches and 19 sets).
- 8 – Radwańska finished second in the 2011 final standings based on more match wins in US Open Series events.
- 9 – Players who had their point totals doubled due to having obtained points in at least three different events, based on a rule enforced from 2014 on.
- 10 – Dimitrov finished second in the 2016 final standings based on more match wins in US Open Series events.
Records
edit- Players who won both the US Open Series and the US Open in the same year, receiving $1 million bonus prize money
- Men: Roger Federer (2007) & Rafael Nadal (2013).
- Women: Kim Clijsters (2005*) & Serena Williams (2013, 2014).
- * - Clijsters received the Champion's prize money, $1.1M, plus a bonus equaling the prize money, $1.1M, for a total of $2.2M.
- Most points won
- Without doubling bonus for three countable tournaments (until 2013):
- Men: Mardy Fish, 230 points in 2011.
- Women: Kim Clijsters, 225 points in 2005.
- With doubling bonus for three countable tournaments (since 2014):
- Men: Milos Raonic, 280 points in 2014.
- Women: Serena Williams, 430 points in 2014.
- Most US Open Series overall victories
- Men: 2, Andy Roddick (2005, 2006); Rafael Nadal (2008, 2013); Andy Murray (2010, 2015).
- Women: 3, Serena Williams (2011, 2013, 2014).
- Most US Open Series Top-3 finishes
- Men: 5, Andy Murray (2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2015) & John Isner (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015).
- Women: 4, Serena Williams (2011, 2013, 2014, 2015) & Agnieszka Radwańska (2011, 2013, 2014, 2016).
- Most US Open Series tournament victories
- Men: 9, Roger Federer
- Women: 7, Serena Williams
- Biggest payout in the series (which were the largest in tennis history until Ashleigh Barty won US$4.42 at the WTA Finals in 2019[22])
- Serena Williams (2014) – $4 million (won US Open Series and US Open).
- Biggest payout in men's: Novak Djokovic (2015) – $3.8 million (US Open Series runner-up and US Open winner).
- Most successful nation in the US Open Series
- Overall: United States, 38 tournament victories (Men: 24 & Women: 14).
- Men: United States, 24 tournament victories.
- Women: United States, 14 tournament victories.
References
edit- ^ Clarke, Liz (April 20, 2004). "USTA Moves to Promote Tennis; U.S. Open Series Aims To Please Players, Fans". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
- ^ "With Acapulco triumph Rafael Nadal has won at least 3 consecutive titles in 9 seasons, moving further ahead of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic". sportskeeda.
- ^ "5 Rafael Nadal records you probably don't know of". sportskeeda.
- ^ "US Open Series | US Open Series". Archived from the original on December 2, 2023.
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20240225021003/http://www.usopenseries.com/. Archived from the original on February 25, 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ Rothenberg, Ben. "Why DC's Citi Open separated from U.S. Open Series". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
- ^ "DC's Citi Open Bumped Out Of U.S. Open Series Due To TV Deal With Tennis Channel". Sports Business Daily. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- ^ "Citi Open returns to US Open Series for 2019". US Open Series. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- ^ "Press Release | Emirates Airline US Open Series". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
- ^ "Emirates takes name off Open Series". February 6, 2017.
- ^ "Bonus Challenge". US Open Series. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
- ^ Kreda, Allan (September 10, 2005). "Clijsters Wins U.S. Open; Federer, Agassi Make Final". Bloomberg. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
- ^ "Clijsters Wins Second Consecutive U.S. Open Title". Long Island Tennis Magazine. September 13, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
- ^ "Federer tames Djokovic to clinch US Open crown". ABC News. September 10, 2007. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
- ^ "Bonus Challenge – Emirates Airline US Open Series". Emirates Airline US Open Series.
- ^ "US Open 2013: Taxman cometh for champions". ZeeNews India. September 10, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
- ^ "Serena sweeps aside Wozniacki for third straight US Open". US Open Official Site - A USTA Event.
- ^ @usopen (July 18, 2017). "We will not have #USOpenSeries bonus money this year" (Tweet). Retrieved July 28, 2017 – via Twitter.
- ^ Tandon, Kamakshi (February 7, 2017). "Emirates drops US Open Series Sponsorship; adds US Open involvement". tennis.com.
- ^ "US Open Series - Bonus Challenge". US Tennis Association. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
- ^ "2005 US Open Series Bonus Points System" (PDF). US Tennis Association. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
- ^ "'It's been a year that just hasn't stopped' - Barty dethrones Svitolina to capture WTA Finals crown".