Where is the US Open 2022 played? Flushing Meadows location, ground capacity, history, how many tennis courts

The best tennis players in the world will be back in action later this month for the 2022 US Open at Flushing Meadows.

It will be the final Grand Slam event of the year and takes place at one of the most recognisable sports facilities in the world.

Daniil Medvedev and Emma Raducanu will return to defend their singles titles from 2021 along with the likes of Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Venus Williams, while their are questions over Novak Djokovic’s status due to travel policy for individuals not vaccinated against Covid.

Here is everything you need to know about the venue including location, ground capacity, history and the number of tennis courts?

Where is Flushing Meadows?

Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, most commonly known as ‘Flushing Meadows’, is a public park in the northern part of Queens, New York City.

The park is the home to two notable sporting facilities and several other attractions.

The facilities are Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets baseball team, and the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center where the US Open is staged.

Billie Jean King National Tennis Center: Number of courts and capacity

The facility has a total of 22 courts inside its 46 and half acres and 12 more in the adjoining park.

There are three stadiums inside the facility including Arthur Ashe Stadium which is the largest tennis venue in the world with a capacity of 23,200.

The other two main venues are the Louis Armstrong Stadium, which has a capacity of 14,000, and the Grandstand which holds 8,125 spectators.

Traditionally, the 33 courts had used DecoTurf cushioned acrylic surfaces until 2020 when the venue adopted Laykold surfaces.

US Open venue history

The tennis centre is named after Billie Jean King, a former world number one tennis player and winner of 39 major titles.

King is also recognised as a pioneer of gender equality and social justice and is often associated with the 1973 ‘Battle of the Sexes’ tennis match where she faced retired men’s professional player Bobby Riggs.

King was also the founder of the Women’s Tennis Association.

Arthur Ashe Stadium is named after Arthur Ashe, the winner of three Grand Slam titles and the first Black player selected to represent the United States Davis Cup team.

The National Tennis Centre opened in 1978 and has hosted the US Open ever since.

The venue was upgraded in 1995 with more land committed to the centre after rumours emerged that the tournament could be moved elsewhere.

The center underwent a $550 million renovation which began in 2013 and included the installation of a retractable roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The roof was installed in time for the 2017 US Open.

The new Grand Stand court was first opened in 2016 and the Louis Armstrong Stadium, which also has a retractable roof, was first introduced for the 2018 US Open.

The facility was first named after Billie Jean King in 2006 and has also been used to host professional basketball matches, but remains primarily a tennis facility.