Alcaraz Furious at US Open Organizers

Each Grand Slam in tennis is defined by its surface: the French Open is contested on clay, Wimbledon on grass, and the Australian Open on synthetic hard courts. The US Open, however, stands apart with a unique history of shifting grounds. It is the only major to have been staged on three different surfaces. From its inception in 1881 until 1974, it unfolded on grass, before transitioning to clay from 1975 to 1977. Since 1978, the tournament has found permanence on acrylic hard courts, shaping the identity it holds today.