USTA BILLIE JEAN KING NATIONAL TENNIS CENTERQUICK FACTS

Total acreage: 46.5 acresGroundbreaking Ceremony: October 6, 1977Grand Opening: August 29, 1978Arthur Ashe Stadium Groundbreaking: March 1, 1995Arthur Ashe Stadium Dedication: August 25, 1997Louis Armstrong Stadium Re-Dedication: August 30, 1999USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Dedication: August 28, 2006

First US Open match at USTA National Tennis Center: Bjorn Borg, Sweden, d. Bob Hewitt,South Africa, 6-0, 6-2, August 29, 1978, in Louis Armstrong Stadium

First US Open match in Arthur Ashe Stadium: Tamarine Tanasugarn, Thailand, d. Chanda Rubin,Lafayette, La., 6-4, 6-0, August 25, 1997

Number of courts: 45 (4 stadium, 13 tournament, 16 practice, 12 indoor)Number of doors & locks: 1,594Number of public toilets: 488Number of public pay phones: 12Number of restaurants: 5Number of cafes: 1Number of kitchens: 12Number of food concession stands: 51Arthur Ashe Stadium: 20 South Plaza: 6Louis Armstrong Stadium: 8 East Plaza: 2Food Village: 15

Number of portable concession carts: 71Number of trash receptacles: 1,260 (580 for recyclables)Number of water fountains: 35Number of merchandise stands/stores: 24Number of elevators: 15Arthur Ashe Stadium: 10 plus 3 handicap liftsLouis Armstrong Stadium: 2 plus 1 handicap liftIndoor Training Center: 2

ARTHUR ASHE STADIUMHeight: 175 ft. (120 ft. to broadcast booth level + 55-foot roof structure)Number of feet from the court to the top seat in the stadium: 105Number of Luxury Suites: 90 (Club Level: 44 Mezzanine Level: 46)Number of escalators: 6Number of broadcast booths: 20Number of camera positions: 16Number of media workstations: 347

SEATING AT THE USTA BILLIE JEAN KING NATIONAL TENNIS CENTER

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Stadium Courts Seating CapacityArthur Ashe Stadium 23,771Louis Armstrong Stadium 10,103Grandstand 6,106Court No. 17 2,800

Field Courts Seating CapacityCourt No. 4 1,066Court No. 5 1,032Court No. 6 1,148Court No. 7 1,463Court No. 8 624Court No. 9 336Court No. 10 620

Field Courts Seating CapacityCourt No. 11 1,552Court No. 12 336Court No. 13 584Court No. 14 336Court No. 15 336Court No. 16 336

Practice Gallery 700

THE US OPEN AND NEW YORK

The US Open and the City of New York share a specialrelationship that dates back almost a century, to 1915, when a national tennis championship of the United States was firstplayed in the Big Apple.A study of the US Open in 2010 conducted by AKRF, Inc.,

found that the tournament generates approximately $756 millionin direct revenue for the tri-state area—more than any othersports or entertainment event in any city in the United States. The US Open has a longer association with the City of the

New York than such New York City institutions as the EmpireState Building (constructed in 1930), The Tony Awards (first heldin New York in 1947), Rockefeller Center (created in 1928) andLincoln Center (opened in 1966). The US Open also has a longerassociation with New York than some of its most storied sportsfranchises, including the New York Knicks of the NBA, who start-ed in 1946; the New York Giants of the NFL, who started in

1925; and the New York Mets of Major League Baseball, who began play in 1962.

THE BEGINNINGS

In 1915, the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y., first hosted the U.S. NationalChampionships in men’s singles, a precursor to the modern-day US Open. At the time, the eventwas strictly limited to amateurs and remained that way until the tournament became “Open” toboth professionals and amateurs in 1968 and the name changed from the U.S. NationalChampionships to the US Open. Before 1915, the U.S. Nationals enjoyed a 34-year run at thetournament’s birthplace, the Newport Casino in Newport, R.I.According to Wright and Ditson’s Lawn Tennis Guide, the first tournament in New York was an

instant success. “The externals and business side of the tournament surpassed anything everattempted in this or any country. Courts, schedule, handling of matches, umpiring, accommoda-tions for players and spectators were perfect and the galleries throughout were not only largeand enthusiastic, but truly appreciative as well.”The men’s singles championships continued at the West Side Tennis Club until 1920, when the

event moved to the Germantown Cricket Club in Philadelphia in a short-lived attempt (1921-23)to rotate the championships among different cities. In the absence of the men’s championships,the women’s championships moved to the West Side Tennis Club in 1921. The men’s singleschampionships returned to New York City in 1923 upon completion of the 14,000-seat horseshoestadium at the West Side Tennis Club. The men’s and women’s singles events were played along-side each other in Forest Hills for the next 53 years.

USTA BILLIE JEAN KING NATIONAL TENNIS CENTER

In 1978, USTA President W.E. “Slew” Hester spearheaded the move of the US Open from theWest Side Tennis Club to the newly constructed USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y. Thenew facility, which featured the 18,000-seat Louis Armstrong Stadium as its centerpiece, was financedby the USTA (with no public funding) and built on the grounds of the 1939 and 1964 World’s Fairs.The move from the private West Side Tennis Club to the public USTA National Tennis Center createda world-class venue for the US Open and ushered in an era of play on America’s public courts.In 1997, the USTA opened Arthur Ashe Stadium as its main stadium and expanded the tennis

facilities at the USTA National Tennis Center. The construction increased the number of courts onthe grounds from 25 to 45 and saw the acreage more than double to 46.5 acres. In 2006, the USTA renamed the entire facility the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center

in honor of one of tennis’ finest ambassadors and a product of public courts in her native LongBeach, Calif. Soon thereafter, the USTA began renovation of its indoor complex, unveiling thestate-of-the-art Chase Center in 2008. In 2011, the US Open added a fourth show court with the debut of Court 17, and prior to the

2014 US Open, the USTA unveiled its complete reimagining of the USTA Billie Jean King NationalTennis Center, featuring a retractable roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium, a new Louis Armstrong Stadiumand a new Grandstand located in the southwest corner of the grounds. The completion of the current transformation is scheduled for 2018. (See page 41 for more.)

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Serena Williams

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USTA BILLIE JEAN KING NATIONAL TENNIS CENTERAND ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM

The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center—home of the US Open—was renamed inhonor of the tennis legend and trailblazer whose pioneering efforts helped change the sport oftennis and launch the drive for gender equality in sports and in society on Opening Night of the2006 US Open.The USTA now honors two of the sport’s greatest icons who transcended tennis and gave

voice to important cultural issues in this country. In 1997, the USTA named the world’s largesttennis stadium after Arthur Ashe.

A GREAT DEAL FOR NEW YORK CITY

Three months into office as the 108th mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg acknowl-edged to former mayor and then-USTA board member David Dinkins what the United StatesTennis Association has known for 25 years. “You have done—to the best of my knowledge—theonly good athletic sports stadium deal, not just in New York, but in the country,” Bloomberg toldDinkins, during the former mayor’s weekly radio show. Dinkins, New York City mayor 1990-93,had signed legislation approving the construction of Arthur Ashe Stadium while he was in office.The USTA spent $285 million to build Arthur Ashe Stadium and to renovate Louis Armstrong

Stadium and the grounds of the USTA National Tennis Center, a four-year construction project(1995-99) that spanned more than a decade, including planning. But the USTA, in fact, operatesthe USTA National Tennis Center for the City of New York, paying in excess of $2.4 million peryear in rent. The facility remains completely public, as it has been since the association moved theUS Open there from the nearby West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills in 1978.Indeed, the USTA turned a former World’s Fair site in Queens into a marvel of public and

private cooperation with the opening of the USTA National Tennis Center. Today, the world marvels at the grandest stadium in all of tennis—Arthur Ashe Stadium—as it rises from the heartof the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, welcoming even more people to the sport oftennis than Ashe might have imagined 47 years ago, when he became the first black man to wina Grand Slam tournament.

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The 1997 US Open witnessed the inauguration of Arthur Ashe Stadium, named after one of tennis’ finest ambassadors and humanitarians. Nine years later, the surrounding grounds wererenamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in a special ceremony on OpeningNight of the 2006 US Open.

Dean Batchelder

“Through the years, many people have honored Arthur and his work,” Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe said at the USTA news conference (Feb. 19, 1997) announcing the stadium was beingnamed for her late husband. “All of the honors have been very flattering and much appreciated.But I think Arthur would be extremely proud of this honor because he was very committed to theUSTA and to helping it create opportunities for those who need them most.”“I want people to see this and dream big and go for it,” said King, who won four US Open/

U.S. National women’s singles titles, on the night the facility was renamed in her honor. “It’s greatto be side-by-side with Arthur Ashe, he dreamed big too. I can’t resist. Mi casa es su casa. Myhouse is your house. This is our house! Love you New York, thank you so much and go for it!”Arthur Ashe Stadium and the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center allow up to 40,000

fans to watch the greatest tennis in the world during each session of the US Open. That’s abouttwice the number of fans who attended the largest session of the 1968 US Open, which Ashewon at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills.Such growth has been—and continues to be—a boon to US Open revenues, which directly

fund the USTA’s community tennis programs nationwide. Arthur Ashe Stadium, since opening onAugust 23, 1997, has generated as much praise as the US Open has money. It has been called “aLincoln Center for jocks” and “a Xanadu for not just tennis but for sports.”

NEW AND IMPROVED SINCE 1997

Designed by Rossetti Associates Architects, an international leader in sports design and planning, Arthur Ashe Stadium features state-of-the-art broadcast and audio systems, 90 luxurysuites, five restaurants and a two-level player’s lounge.The individual seating, increased restroom facilities and increased concession stands are

among the most visible differences between Arthur Ashe Stadium and its predecessor, LouisArmstrong Stadium. But the more subtle differences include loge box seating that is almost 10feet closer to the center of the court, a two-fold increase in the number of entranceways for fanswith upper-level seats and a 30-fold increase in seating availability for people in wheelchairs.Arthur Ashe Stadium can be adapted to hold other events besides tennis. One completely

hidden feature of Arthur Ashe Stadium that is sure to enhance its functionality is the hydraulic systemwithin sections 38 and 39 of the north courtside seats. These hydraulics can raise the sections highenough to allow vehicles to be driven onto the court, making it possible, for example, for centercourt to be converted into a beach volleyball court with the help of just a few dump trucks. In fact, in2008, Arthur Ashe Stadium hosted the WNBA’s N.Y. Liberty and Indiana Fever in the first regular season outdoor game in pro basketball history on the grounds of the US Open.The USTA is permitted to use the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for its own

events, including the US Open, for no more than 60 days a year, ensuring the facility’s use by thepublic for 10 months.In actuality, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is open to the public seven days

a week, 11 months a year, closing only on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Annualevents held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in addition to the US Openinclude the Eastern Wheelchair Tennis Championships and the Mayor’s Cup high school tennischampionships. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center staff conducts community tennis programs, summer tennis camps, group and private lessons and USTA programs.Expansion of the USTA National Tennis Center has increased the number of outdoor courts

available for public play to 29. This does not include Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis ArmstrongStadium or the Grandstand. In addition, there are 12 indoor courts for public use.

RISING FROM “THE VALLEY OF ASHES”

The idea to establish a USTA National Tennis Center began in the fall of 1976 when W.E.“Slew” Hester, soon-to-be president of the USTA, recognized the need for an alternative site forthe US Open. The size and scope of the tournament had clearly grown beyond the capacity ofthe tiny West Side Tennis Club.In January 1977, on a flight to New York to meet with the city parks commissioner, Hester

glimpsed Louis Armstrong Stadium in snow-covered Flushing Meadows Corona Park as his planeapproached LaGuardia Airport. From that moment, Hester’s vision and perseverance led to therapid development of site plans and agreements with New York City to create the USTA NationalTennis Center. Ground was broken in October 1977 and, remarkably, the new facility opened thefollowing August, a mere 10 months later. By comparison, construction of Arthur Ashe Stadiumtook 30 months, from the initial groundbreaking in March 1995 to the August 1997 grand openingfor Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day.There is a certain irony in having Arthur Ashe Stadium as the magnificent centerpiece of a

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tennis facility in a park that was once an ash dump. Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, infact, is part of American folklore as the site F. Scott Fitzgerald described as “the valley of ashes”in his 1925 novel The Great Gatsby.But the site evolved from an ash dump at the turn of the 20th century to the center of world

attention within a few decades. Flushing Meadows Corona Park has been site of the 1939-40World’s Fair, temporary headquarters of the United Nations (1946-49), site of the 1964-65 World’sFair (at which time the Singer Sewing Machine Company built the Singer Bowl, renamed LouisArmstrong Stadium after New York City acquired the property) and now, home of the USTA BillieJean King National Tennis Center and the US Open.At the signing of the original agreement between the USTA and New York City, Mayor

Abraham Beame said, “This venture is perhaps unique in the country between a municipality andan athletic organization. The entire cost of constructing and rehabilitating the facility is beingunderwritten by the USTA. In most arrangements, municipalities build and maintain stadiums inorder to lure sports attractions.”In the years since the agreement first went into effect, the USTA’s “good citizen” status with

New York City endures.

RENOVATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS

The NTC has been the scene of a number of enhancements and upgrades since its expansion in1997. In November 2008, the USTA unveiled its new state-of-the-art indoor facility. The 245,000-square-foot facility was built at the site of the former indoor tennis building near the East Gate ofthe USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and was constructed at no cost to taxpayers. Thefacility features 12 indoor courts, viewing areas for all courts, training center classrooms, fitnessfacilities, a pro shop and a café. Additional upgrades for players and fans were completed several months before the indoor

facility was unveiled, in time for the 2008 US Open. They included a $7.5 million renovation toimprove the players’ lounge, locker rooms and fitness facilities, and to expand the capacity forplayer operations as well as create more room for medical, training and office space.In 2011, Court 17 made its debut. Seating 2,800 fans, it is the US Open’s fourth-largest show

court, behind only Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium and the Grandstand. Thisnewest show court features a court sunk 7 feet into the earth to create a more intimate environment for players and fans.

US OPEN OF TOMORROW

Announced shortly before the 2013 event, a revolutionary reimagining of the USTA Billie JeanKing National Tennis Center will ensure it remains a world-class venue far into the future by creatinga facility that sets a new standard for spectacular—brilliantly reflecting the status this tournamenthas earned and enhancing the US Open experience for players and fans alike.

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The sweeping transformation of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is creating atennis facility that will set a new standard for spectacular—and enhance the US Open experiencefor players and fans alike.

The 2014 US Open unveiled the initial stage of this sweeping transformation of the USTA BillieJean King National Tennis Center: the West Stadium Courts and Practice Gallery, with platformseating for 3,000 fans so they can enjoy unobstructed views of US Open seeded players practicingand also watch competitive action simultaneously on tournament courts 4, 5 and 6. Arthur Ashe Stadium, the centerpiece of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, has

long been considered one of the game’s greatest stages. With the addition of a retractable roof,that stage will become all the more impressive, as the drama unfolding upon it will be immune fromweather-related distraction and disruption. The steel superstructure for the roof was completed inJune, and the retractable panels will be operational for the 2016 US Open. The retractable roof willbe the largest of any tennis stadium in the world—so large, in fact, that Wimbledon’s entire CentreCourt would fit through the 62,500-square-foot opening. Six thousand tons of steel form thesuperstructure, which contains 1,700 structural beams and 115,000 bolts. A total of 176 steel andconcrete-filled pilings, driven 180 feet below the surface, anchor the 24 steel columns that supportthe superstructure.Also scheduled to debut in 2016 is a major expansion of the southern campus, which will feature

new tournament courts, more fan amenities and a greatly widened boulevard connecting Court 17to the new Grandstand.One of the best and most fan-friendly experiences in tennis is watching a match in the

Grandstand; its intimate setting allows every fan an up-close look at the game’s greatest. A newGrandstand, already under construction in the southwest corner of the grounds, is also scheduledto become operational in 2016, and its design retains an intimate setting for fans. A new FoodVillage in the southwest corner of the campus is also slated to open next year.Construction is anticipated to begin after the 2016 US Open on the new Louis Armstrong

Stadium, which is scheduled to be operational in 2018, marking the 50th anniversary of tennis’sOpen Era with the completion of the transformation of the USTA Billie Jean King NationalTennis Center.

RAISING THE ROOF

Facts and figures about the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof.

4 Catenary trusses, which span 460 feet and support the roof and the secondary framing

5 Minutes (approximately) to open or close the roof

15 Feet between the highest seat and the roof, allowing for ventilation

150 Height in feet of the steel columns supporting the roof

180 Feet below the surface reached by each steel and concrete-filled piling

500 Kilowatts required to move the roof’s two gliding panels

800 Tons of gliding panels, which will come together from the east and west sides of ArthurAshe Stadium to form the retractable roof

1,700 Structural beams in the superstructure

6,000 Tons of steel used for the superstructure

62,500 Square feet in size for the roof’s opening

115,000 Bolts in the superstructure

200,000 Square feet of steel-and-Teflon covering for the entire roof

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ARTHUR ASHE COMMEMORATIVE GARDEN

The Arthur Ashe Commemorative Garden, located in front of the South Entrance to the USTABillie Jean King National Tennis Center and facing the main entrance to Arthur Ashe Stadium, wasdedicated at the 2000 US Open to commemorate the life, legacy and spirit of Arthur Ashe. Thepremier feature of the garden is a 14-foot high bronze sculpture entitled “Soul in Flight” and created by distinguished American painter and sculptor Eric Fischl. Selected by Ashe’s widowJeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe and a USTA committee, the sculpture does not depict Ashe, but represents his spirit. “Rather than merely capturing Ashe’s physical likeness, I wanted to find a way to celebrate his

unique character and strength in the time-honored and symbolic language of classical sculpture,”Fischl said.Said Moutassamy-Ashe, “I believe he would approve of this commemorative statue. I am also

pleased that the figure celebrates the life of an African-American man in a park that serves anincredible mosaic of ethnic groups in this great city.”The garden is encircled by a wall with a quote from Ashe: “From what we get, we can make a

living; what we give, however, makes a life.”

AVENUE OF ACES®

The “Avenue of Aces®” is a walkway of personalized pavers that welcomesfans as they enter the grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National TennisCenter through the East Gate. Legendary champions Andre Agassi, ChrisEvert, Stefanie Graf, Billie Jean King, Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe, MartinaNavratilova, Pete Sampras and Randy Snow all have a paver that anchorstheir own “Neighborhood.” Ordering a personalized paver on the Avenueof Aces® supports the USTA Foundation, which supports, monitors and promotes programs that enhance the lives of under-resourced children andindividuals with disabilities through the powerful combination of tennis and education.

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Caryn Levy/CLP

US OPEN COURT OF CHAMPIONS

The US Open Court of Champions honors and celebrates the achievements of the event’sgreatest champions with a permanent individual monument that stands as part of a 9,000-squarefoot outdoor pavilion—bounded by the South Entry Gate and the Arthur Ashe CommemorativeGarden and Sculpture—and features a complete listing of all U.S. singles champions since thecompetition began in 1881. The monument serves as a lasting tribute to the legendary singleschampions in the 134-year history of the event whose talents have helped build the US Open intoone of the world’s top sporting events.To be eligible for the US Open Court of Champions, players must have won at least one

singles title at the U.S. Championships and have been retired from singles at the US Open for at least five years. In 2003, the inaugural class of inductees consisted of Jimmy Connors, ChrisEvert, Billie Jean King, Rod Laver, Bill Tilden and Helen Wills. The 2004 class, consisting of JackKramer, Margaret Court, John McEnroe and Steffi Graf, was the last to include four inductees.Two players—one man and one woman—were inducted in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2010. Loneinductees are Althea Gibson (2007), Arthur Ashe (2009), Pancho Gonzalez (2011), Andre Agassi(2012), Monica Seles (2013), and Tony Trabert (2014).

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Unveiled in 2003, the US Open Court of Champions honors the greatest players in US Openhistory. Their accomplishments are commemorated with plaques that serve as a lasting tribute to the event's legendary champions.

Induction Year Men Women

2003 Bill Tilden Helen WillsRod Laver Billie Jean KingJimmy Connors Chris Evert

2004 Jack Kramer Margaret CourtJohn McEnroe Steffi Graf

2005 Ivan Lendl Maureen Connolly

2006 Don Budge Martina Navratilova

2007 —— Althea Gibson

2008 Pete Sampras Molla B. Mallory

2009 Arthur Ashe ——

2010 Ken Rosewall Margaret Osborne duPont

2011 Pancho Gonzalez ——

2012 Andre Agassi ——

2013 —— Monica Seles

2014 Tony Trabert ——

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SSOUTH PLAZA FOUNTAIN

The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center’s South Plaza was redesigned as a vibrantmeeting place for the 2005 US Open. At the heart of the plaza is a fountain designed by WETEnterprises, the internationally recognized designers of the groundbreaking water feature at theBellagio in Las Vegas. Architecturally, the two pools of the fountain reinforce the strong axis betweenthe historic Unisphere from the 1964 World’s Fair and Arthur Ashe Stadium. The undergroundvault housing the pumps could hold more than one million tennis balls, and the entire fountaincontains more than half a mile of piping. Clad in black Masabi granite, the fountain basins providea waterside seat for the uniquely choreographed water jets embedded in each basin. Computerscontrol the level of each water jet, allowing them to work in a variety of animated ways—from a lowbubble to soaring streams of water more than 20 feet high. The fountain basins are also able to“play,” as the animation controls are able to create a variety of water shows, movement and sound.

INTERNATIONAL TENNIS HALL OF FAME

The International Tennis Hall of Fame Gallery at the US Open has hosted a new display eachyear since 1999. This year’s exhibit is themed "The Original 9 and World TeamTennis."

2015 – The Original 9 and World TeamTennisThis exhibit focuses on the creation of two important developments in the game of tennis,

both driven by Hall of Famer and legend Billie Jean King. It explores the history and creation ofthe WTA tour and the coed tennis league World TeamTennis through artifacts and imagery.

2014 – Tennis Evolves: Racquets and FashionPresented on a Perch interactive table, allowing fans to learn via touch-table interactivity,

“Tennis Evolves: Racquets and Fashion” provided a sweeping view of the changes in racquetsand fashion from the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum’s collection.

2013 – Forty Years Later: The Battle of the SexesThis exhibit explores one of the most well-known and culturally significant tennis matches in

history, the 1973 match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, and also examines women’stennis history, Riggs’ and King’s careers, and the match's effects on tennis and women’s sports today.

2012 – Tennis and the OlympicsThe 2012 International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum Gallery at the US Open explores the

history of tennis in the Olympic Games, showcases some of the most successful and interestingtennis Olympians in history and highlights the appeal of tennis as one of the world’s most inter-national sports.

The dancing waters of the South Plaza Fountain create a link between Arthur Ashe Stadiumand the historic Unisphere from the 1964 World’s Fair.

Getty Images

2011 – Serving Their Countries: Tennis and WarThe 2011 gallery featured an exhibit showcasing how the tennis community has rallied to

support wars and global conflict in terms of service, charity matches and support. The exhibitalso addresses how war has affected the sport.

2010 – Tennis Twosomes: Doubles Teams Across the ErasThe 2010 gallery featured an exhibit showcasing some of the most successful doubles partner-

ships in the game’s history.

2009 – The Grand Slam: Tennis’ Ultimate AchievementThe 2009 gallery featured an exhibit chronicling the achievement of the calendar-year Grand

Slam, as 2009 marked the 40th anniversary of Rod Laver's 1969 singles Slam and the 25thanniversary of Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver’s 1984 doubles Slam.

2008 – Home Court: The Family DrawThe 2008 gallery featured an exhibit on the important role families have played in the

development of future champions.

2007 – Breaking the Barriers: The ATA and Black Tennis PioneersThe exhibit described the origins and history of the American Tennis Association (ATA),

established in 1916 to promote the sport of tennis and to help blacks gain access to tournamenttennis, in addition to featuring the unheralded champions of early black tennis.

2006 – ¡Vive el Tenis!¡Vive el Tenis! explored the journey of tennis from its English and European roots throughout

the vast expanse of North, South and Central America and the Caribbean.

2005 – Passing Shots: Tennis Photographers' Perspectives on Tennis This exhibit explored the way in which tennis and photography have evolved together—or at

least in tandem—as changes in the game and its culture accompanied changes in photographictechnology and our way of seeing.

2004 – Courting Favor: Tennis Posters from the Golden Age and A Passion for Tennis:Selections from the Albert & Madeleine Ritzenberg Tennis Collection

The golden age of posters spanned the 1890s through the 1930s, a significant time in thedevelopment of tennis as well.

2003 – In the Zone: The Best at Their Best“In the Zone” celebrated 65 years since the first “Grand Slam,” starting in 1938, creating an

engaging and potent experience for visitors of all ages and interests.

2002 – Face To Face: Tennis’ Great Rivalries“Face to Face: Tennis’ Great Rivalries” focused on the many great rivalries in the history of the

sport.

2001 – Dynamic Doubles“Dynamic Doubles” exhibit paid tribute to the game’s greatest doubles champions and cele-

brated the evolution and dynamics of the doubles game, spotlighting 30 of its greatest pairs—men, women and mixed.

2000 – The Lady Is A ChampThis exhibit celebrated 35 American women who have won the U.S. Championship, from

1887, when Ellen Hansell was first crowned, to the 1999 US Open champion, Serena Williams.

1999 – Their Eyes On The Prize: Historic Trophies & Players from the U.S. Championships“Their Eyes On The Prize” took a look back at the rewards of victory and the victors who

seized it all the way back to the original U.S. Championships—1881 for men, 1887 for women.

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DRAWBOARD

The excitement of each win in the five major events during the US Open will be played out onthe courts and on the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center drawboard. Attached to theside of Louis Armstrong Stadium by more than 42 tons of steel, the manually operated, FenwayPark-style drawboard is decidedly “analog.” Manned by NTC Personnel and four ladders weighingnearly 500 lbs. each, the results are posted by hand as every match concludes. The board itselfcovers close to 4,000 square feet of area and uses the latest architectural and printing technologiesto resist the elements so that the results can remain posted throughout the year.

US OPEN GREEN INITIATIVE

The US Open is in the eighth year of its environmental initiatives program aimed at lessening theevent’s ecological footprint and helping to create a more sustainable future. Since the inception ofthe program in 2008, the US Open has recycled more than 2.6 million plastic bottles, welcomedmore than 3 million fans arriving via mass transit and diverted more than 1,800 tons of US Openwaste from going into landfills. Just last year, the US Open diverted more than 70 percent of its wastefrom landfills through recycling and composting, more than any other year in the event’s history. Thisyear, more than 350 tons of waste will be diverted from landfills, ultimately saving more than 450 tonsof harmful greenhouse gas emissions from being emitted into the atmosphere.During the 2015 US Open, fans will be enjoying matches lit by LED stadium lights on several

courts, including in Arthur Ashe Stadium. These lights use 50 percent less energy than traditionalstadium lights. Fans can make use of water refilling stations throughout the site to encourage thereuse of water bottles. In addition, fans will be able to enjoy Fair Trade coffee and can dine on cuisinemade with local and/or organic ingredients—30 percent of the produce comes from local farms, andnearly 30,000 pounds of food will be donated to the community. In addition, more than 12,000 gallonsof kitchen grease will be collected and converted into biodiesel to be used to reduce diesel engineemissions. The USTA will also continue to collect the tennis balls used during US Open matches andplayer practices so they can be reused in USTA tennis programs and donated to various communityand youth organizations throughout the United States. The US Open is proud to have recently earned LEED certification for the new Transportation

Building at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class buildingstrategies and practices. A number of sustainable design elements were incorporated into the Trans-portation Building construction, including energy-saving heating and cooling; LED lights, which use30 percent less energy, saving approximately 15,000 kilowatt hours per year; the use of low-emitting paints and finishes, which reduce the pollutants emitted; and recycling 450 tons of metal andconcrete from the demolition of the old building.To help make a greater impact on the air we breathe, the US Open acquired Green-e Climate

Carbon Offsets to offset the carbon emissions generated from player and employee travel to theevent, as well as from the fuel consumed on-site to run the 2015 US Open. GDF Suez, the US Open’senergy provider, will supply Green-e certified wind renewable energy certificates to match the electricity consumption generated during the event. The USTA continues toward its goal of reducing the impact that the US Open has on the environment

through its collaboration with environmental consultant eco evolutions, llc, as well as through itsmembership with the Green Sports Alliance—a unique collaboration between sports leagues, venues, teams and environmental experts all focused on enhancing their environmental performance. We encourage everyone—players and fans alike—to reduce, reuse, recycle and turn the highest-

attended annual sporting event in the world into the most environmentally conscious.

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The drawboard on Louis Armstrong Stadium keeps fans up to date on all the latest results.

MORE THAN JUST THE HOME OF THE US OPEN:YEAR-ROUND NTC TENNIS PROGRAMS

The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (NTC) in Flushing, N.Y., home of the US Open,is one of the world’s largest and busiest public tennis facilities. The facility offers 29 outdoor and 12indoor courts with a staff of more than 20 USPTA and/or PTR-certified professionals conductingprograms, clinics, private lessons, leagues and tournaments year-round. The NTC also supports allUSTA Community Tennis and Player Development initiatives. The USTA pays the City of New York more than $2.4 million per year in rent and is permitted

to use the NTC for its own events, including the US Open, for no more than 60 days a year,ensuring the facility’s use by the public for 10 months. In actuality, the USTA Billie Jean KingNational Tennis Center is open to the public seven days a week, 11 months a year, closing onlyon Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Community Tennis initiatives include:• 10 and Under Tennis programming for children to learn tennis in a fun and dynamic way• USTA Junior Team Tennis for youth match play• USTA League for competitive, level-of-play competition• An official Cardio Tennis site for on-court heart pumping fitness• Summer junior camps• Summer adult and weekend junior clinics

Player Development initiatives include:• Home of USTA Training Center – East, and additional Player Development programs for top-ranking juniors residing in the Northeast

• Invitational USTA Competition Training Center (CTC) for ranked players• Year-round USTA Tournament Training Program (TTP) for ranked juniors

Key annual tournaments and events include:• The US Open National Playoffs Eastern Sectional Qualifying Tournament• The USTA Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed National Open Indoor Championships • The Jana Hunsaker Memorial Eastern Wheelchair Championships, an ITF event• USTA-sanctioned junior tournaments for every age group at the district, regional, sectionaland national levels, including the USTA NTC Summer Championships

Regional tournaments and events include:• Several USTA Eastern events and activities • New York State Public High School State Championships• New York Junior Tennis League (NYJTL) and New York City Parks Foundation programs forjunior and senior players

• The annual “Mayor’s Cup” all-scholastic NYC championships for boys and girls, from middleschools and high schools, in singles, doubles and team competitions

• USTA-sanctioned tournaments for adults and seniors

Other noteworthy events held at the NTC include: • WNBA’s first regular season outdoor game: the Liberty Outdoor Classic, July 2008• 90th Annual American Tennis Association (ATA) National Championships, July 2007• 80th Annual National Public Parks Tennis Championships, July 2006• Invacare World Team Cup (wheelchair equivalent of Davis Cup and Fed Cup), 1999• USTA League Tennis National Championships (5.0 and 2.5 levels), 1997 and 1998• Davis Cup World Group Quarterfinal (United States d. Czechoslovakia, 4-1), 1981

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BILLIE JEAN KING“MOTHER OF MODERN SPORTS”

The USTA National Tennis Center was renamed in honor ofBillie Jean King in a ceremony during the opening night of the2006 US Open. One of her generation’s premier athletes andagents for social change, King has long been a champion forequality, creating new inroads for women in and out of sportsduring her legendary career—and she continues to make hermark today.One of the most illustrious and celebrated tennis players in

history, King left a lasting and indelible mark on the court. Shewon 13 total U.S. Championships/US Open women’s titles,including four in singles, and was inducted into the inauguralclass of the US Open Court of Champions in 2003. In addition,she won a record 20 Wimbledon titles, including six in singles,and won the Australian Open in 1968 and the French Open in1972, making her one of only 10 women to win the singles titlein each of the four Grand Slam events. She was ranked No. 1 inthe world five times between 1966 and 1972 and was in the

Top 10 a total of 17 years (beginning in 1960). For her career achievements, King was enshrinedin the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987.King, however, was active off the court as well as on it. She empowered women and educated

men when she defeated Bobby Riggs in one of the greatest moments in sports history—theBattle of the Sexes in 1973—which was one in a long and impressive career of firsts. In 1970, shewas one of nine players who broke away from the tennis establishment and accepted $1 con-tracts from tennis promoter Gladys Heldman in Houston. That revolt led to the formation of theVirginia Slims Tour and the Women’s Tennis Association. In 1971, King was the first female athleteto win more than $100,000 in a single season of any sport. And in 1974, she became the firstwoman to coach a professional team with men when she served as player/coach for thePhiladelphia Freedoms of World TeamTennis, which she founded the same year.King, who resides in New York and Chicago, has been heralded as an ardent defender of

equal rights throughout her life and career. She founded the Women’s Sports Foundation in 1974to advance the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity and, in 1987, establishedWTT Charities, Inc., to promote health, fitness, education and social change. In 1990, Life magazine named her one of the “100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century,” and in1994 she ranked No. 5 on Sports Illustrated’s “Top 40 Athletes” list for significantly altering orelevating sports during the last four decades.To this day, King remains active in a number of important causes. She serves as a director on

several boards, including the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Women’s Sports Foundation.And although her place in tennis has certainly been secured as one of the all-time greats, Kinghas remained active in the sport she loves. King coached the U.S. Olympic women’s tennis teamsin 1996 and 2000 and the U.S. Fed Cup team for 10 years, leading the United States to fourOlympic gold medals and the 1976, 1996, 1999 and 2000 Fed Cup titles. For her efforts on and off the court, in 2003 she received the prestigious Philippe Chatrier

Award, the International Tennis Federation’s highest honor, recognizing individuals for their contribution to tennis. And in addition to her place in the US Open Court of Champions and theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame, King is enshrined in the National Women’s Hall of Fame. In1998, she became the first athlete to receive the prestigious Elizabeth Blackwell Award, which isgiven by Hobart and William Smith College to a woman whose life exemplifies outstanding serv-ice to humanity, and in February 1999, King won the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage for her fightto bring equality to women’s sports. In 2009, she was awarded the Presidential Medal ofFreedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in a ceremony at the White House.

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Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

BILLIE JEAN KING—CLOSE UP

Current Activities:• Co-founder and majority owner, World TeamTennis• Founder, GreenSlam, to inspire sports fans, players and the industry to create positive environmental change

• Member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition• Authored a number of books, including “Pressure is a Privilege: Lessons I’ve Learned from Lifeand the Battle of the Sexes”

• Board member of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, National AIDS Fund and Women’s SportsFoundation

Career Highlights:• Won 71 singles titles, including 12 Grand Slam tournament singles titles• Won 39 Grand Slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles, including a record 20Wimbledon titles

• First female athlete to win more than $100,000 in a single season in any sport• Won battle-of-the-sexes match against Bobby Riggs (Sept. 20, 1973 in Houston)• Highest singles ranking: 1 (five times between 1966 and 1972)

Founded:• Women’s Tennis Association, 1973• Professional World TeamTennis, 1974• Women’s Sports Foundation, 1974• Women’s Sports Magazine, 1974• World TeamTennis Professional League, 1981• World TeamTennis Recreational League, 1985• World TeamTennis Charities, 1987• Founding member, Women’s Sports Legends, 1995• Donnelly Awards (scholarships given to tennis players who have Type I Diabetes), 1997• GreenSlam (an environmental initiative for the sports industry), 2007

Honors:• Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, 1987• Inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, 1990• Named one of the 100 Most Important Americans of the 20th century by Life magazine, 1990• USTA National Tennis Center renamed in her honor, 2006• Billie Jean King International Women’s Sports Center opened at the Sports Museum ofAmerica, 2008

• Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2009

“As a product of the public parks, I am so honored, and I am very honored to

be next to Arthur Ashe and to Louis Armstrong, and of course that means a

lot to me. This means so much to me, and I hope it will be a beacon of hope.

I hope that people will think about dreaming big and going for it throughout

the world.” – Billie Jean King

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ARTHUR ASHE—A HERO AND ICON1943-1993

The mere mention of Arthur Ashe elicits feelings of reverenceand reflection from tennis fans and players around the world. Hisname, synonymous with integrity, dignity and class, graces themain stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National TennisCenter in Flushing, N.Y.—Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest tennisstadium in the world, opened in 1997 as the centerpiece of theredesigned USTA National Tennis Center—and Arthur Ashe Kids’Day Presented by Hess has evolved into an annual star-studdedkickoff to the US Open.Ashe was one of tennis’ greatest ambassadors, both on and

off the court. In 1968, he became the first African-American manto win the US Open, and he also reached the doubles final in1968 and the singles final in 1972. Overall, he reached the quar-terfinals or better at the US Open on six occasions. In 2009,Ashe was inducted into the US Open Court of Champions inrecognition of his performance on the court. In all, Ashe would win 33 titles in his career, including the

Australian Open in 1970 and Wimbledon in 1975. Prior to that, he was the first African-Americanto win the NCAA singles title (for UCLA in 1965), and he went on to represent the United Statesin the Davis Cup every year from 1965 to 1970, helping his country to the title from 1968 to1970. Ashe would later add two more Davis Cup titles, in 1981 and 1982, as the team’s captain, aposition he served from 1981 to 1985.Off the court, Ashe worked tirelessly to eliminate racism and poverty around the world. In

1973, after being turned down for a visa three previous times, he traveled to South Africa for thefirst time and became the first black man to compete in the South African Open. After he won thedoubles title with Tom Okker, South African poet Don Mattera told Ashe, “You have shown ourblack youth that they can compete with whites and win.” The black South Africans gave Ashe anickname during his trip to South Africa, “Sipho,” which means “a gift from God” in Zulu.Ashe also devoted countless time and effort to creating tennis opportunities for youngsters

from all backgrounds. In 1969, he co-founded the National Junior Tennis League (now theNational Junior Tennis and Learning network) with Charlie Pasarell and Sheridan Snyder. Asheenvisioned NJTL “as a way to gain and hold the attention of young people in the inner cities andother poor environments so that we can teach them about matters more important than tennis.”Since then, NJTL has grown to more than 600 chapters serving more than 250,000 youths eachyear, making it one of USTA’s largest community-based offerings.“There are a lot of tennis players who won more majors than Arthur, but I can’t think of a

single player who has impacted the world community as much as he did and still does,” saidMalivai Washington, a Wimbledon finalist in 1996 and one of three African-Americans to playDavis Cup for the United States. “Whether it was his dedication to youth, fighting AIDS or fight-ing for human rights, he realized his purpose on earth went far beyond hitting a tennis ball. Thatto me is inspirational.”After brain surgery in 1985, Ashe learned that he was HIV positive, having likely been infected

during either of two heart surgeries he underwent in 1979 or 1983. The diagnosis, however, onlysteeled Ashe’s resolve. He addressed the United Nations General Assembly in 1992, urgingincreased funding for AIDS research, and also started the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health,an organization that brings programs to the inner city to educate and promote better health care.Also in 1992, Ashe was named Sports Illustrated’s “Sportsman of the Year,” only one year beforehis death at age 49 due to AIDS-related pneumonia.In 2000, the USTA dedicated the Arthur Ashe Commemorative Garden at the USTA National

Tennis Center. The garden features the statue “Soul in Flight” as well as an engraving of Ashe’squote, “From what we get, we make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.”

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Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe

ARTHUR ASHE—CLOSE UP

Career Highlights:• First African-American to win the NCAA singles title, 1965• First African-American male US Open champion, 1968• Australian Open men’s singles champion, 1970• Wimbledon men’s singles champion, 1975• Won 33 career singles titles and 18 doubles titles• Achieved a career-best ranking of No. 2 in the world, 1976• Member of five U.S. Davis Cup champion squads, 1968-70 as player, 1981-82 as captain

Founded:• USTA National Junior Tennis and Learning, 1969• Athlete Career Connection, an association to assist athletes after they finish college, 1990

Named: • Board member for Aetna Life and Casualty Company, where he represented minority concerns,the causes of the sick and better health care for American citizens, 1982

• National campaign chairman for the American Heart Association, 1983

Honors:• Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, 1985• Named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, 1992• City of Richmond erects The Arthur Ashe Monument on Monument Avenue, 1996• USTA dedicates Arthur Ashe Stadium, the main stadium for the US Open TennisChampionships, 1997

• USTA dedicates the Arthur Ashe Commemorative Garden at the USTA National Tennis Center,2000

• Inducted into the US Open Court of Champions, 2009

“(Arthur is) such a role model and impressive to me. His tennis is unbelievable,

but there are a lot of great tennis players. There aren’t many people who did

what he did off the court. He used every bit of his fame and success to help

others to make a difference socially. “ – James Blake on Arthur Ashe

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LOUIS ARMSTONG1901-1971

On July 4, 1973, the Singer Bowl, a temporary stadiumfrom the 1939 World’s Fair donated by the Singer SewingMachine Company, was renamed the Louis ArmstrongMemorial Stadium during a jazz jamboree concert. Armstronglived a few blocks from the site before his death two yearsearlier.Louis Armstrong Stadium (pronounced Lewis Armstrong

Stadium) was the original centerpiece of the USTA NationalTennis Center when it opened in 1978 and remained so for 19years, until the expansion of the facility and the opening ofArthur Ashe Stadium in 1997. Steffi Graf defeated MonicaSeles and Pete Sampras defeated Michael Chang in the 1996US Open finals, the last singles title matches played in LouisArmstrong Stadium. Louis Armstrong’s musical career had quite an unusual start:

an arrest. An 11-year-old Armstrong fired a pistol into the skyon New Year’s Eve 1912 and a judge subsequently placed himin the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys. His first musical instruc-

tion came from the Home’s band director, Peter Davis. A young Armstrong rapidly made a name forhimself locally as an up-and-coming jazz coronet and trumpet player. In 1924, Armstrong and hisnew wife, Lillian Hardin, moved from his native New Orleans to New York City in hopes of advanc-ing his career as a jazz musician. After he joined the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, he was on thepath to national renown. By the time he had moved to Corona, “Satchmo” (short for “satchel mouth,” an apparent play

on his breath capacity when playing his instruments) had become an international celebrity. Heplayed with such legends as Bessie Smith (1894-1937), Glenn Miller (1904-1944) and Bing Crosby(1903-1977). Cutting records, performing for royalty, filming movies and playing in bands smalland large, Armstrong traveled an average of 300 days out of the year. At the end of a series ofappearances on “The Dick Cavett Show,” “The Tonight Show” and two weeks of performances inthe Empire Room at the Waldorf Astoria, Louis Armstrong died on July 6, 1971.

“I never tried to prove nothing, just wanted to give a good show. My life

has always been my music, it’s always come first, but the music ain’t worth

nothing if you can’t lay it on the public. The main thing is to live for that

audience, ‘cause what you’re there for is to please the people.“

– Louis Armstrong

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Bradley Smith/Corbis