Arthur Ashe Stadium, located in Flushing Meadows Park, is the main tennis stadium of the U.S. Open, the last of each year's four Grand Slam tournaments. The stadium is also where the annual Arthur Ashe Kids Day takes place. It is located at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens, New York. The stadium was named after the famous African American tennis player, Arthur Ashe, who won the inaugural U.S. Open in which professionals could compete in 1968.
It opened in 1997, replacing Louis Armstrong Stadium as the main stadium. Arthur Ashe Stadium, which cost $254 million to construct, features 22,547 individual seats, 90 luxury suites, five restaurants and a two-level players' lounge -- making it by far the largest outdoor tennis-only venue in the world. The Stadium, like the other 32 courts in the facility, has a DecoTurf cushioned acrylic surface. The stadium is located near Shea Stadium, home of the New York Mets, and the stadia share the Willets Point-Shea Stadium stop on the New York City Subway's 7 Train.
