by Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
The Grandstand Court at the Billie Jean King USTA National Tennis Center is one of the most popular courts in the world of tennis. It made its official debut on August 29, 2016, as featured in my “On This Day In Tennis History” compilation. Here’s how the inaugural match on the court, which became a chapter in U.S. Open history.
Caroline Wozniacki joins Bjorn Borg and Tamarine Tanasugarn in the US Open trivia book when she defeats Taylor Townsend 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to become the first player to win a match on the new Grandstand court at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Wozniacki, a two-time U.S. Open runner-up, outlasted the No. 146-ranked Townsend, a qualifier on the new bowl-shaped stadium with a capacity of 8,125 people, the third largest at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
“I used to love the old Grandstand,’’ Wozniacki said. “When I heard it was being torn down, I was sad. The court was so intimate and the people were so close. But I walked in there today, I was like, ‘This court is really awesome and it’s a big upgrade.’ There’s going to be a lot of special matches there. It was an honor.”
Said Townsend, “I didn’t realize how big it was until people started to come in and started to get a little bit more packed. People started cheering. I was in awe. It’s such a beautiful stadium.”
Borg and Tanasugarn hold the distinctions of winning the first ever matches on Louis Armstrong and Arthur Ashe Stadium respectively. Borg defeated Bob Hewiit 6-0, 6-2 in the first ever match on Louis Armstrong Stadium, then the main court for the US Open in a best-of-three set first-round match in the first round of the 1978 US Open. Tanasugarn beat Chanda Rubin 6-4, 6-0 in the opening match on Arthur Ashe Stadium in the first round of the 1997 U.S. Open. Ironically, Wozniacki and Townsend’s historic match came 88 years to the day of Borg’s win at Louis Armstrong Stadium, which was the officially first session unveiling of the USTA National Tennis Center after its move from the West Side Tennis Club at Forest Hills.
