TENNIS IN NEWPORT – AND IN AMERICA!
The history of tennis in Newport is synonymous with tennis in America. On August 31, 1881, the first U.S. National Lawn Tennis Championship was contested at the Newport Casino, among a field consisting of 25 participants, and accompanied by a string quartet. Bostonian Dick Sears emerged as the country’s first champion, going on to win the first seven championships (1881-1887) before retiring undefeated.
By 1914, the event had outgrown Newport, and relocated to New York City. Today, it is known as the US Open. The perpetual US Open trophies are displayed in the museum in Newport—be sure to take a peek when you’re at the tournament.
Newport has witnessed each new generation of tennis stars from 1881 to the present. After the U.S. Nationals relocated to New York, the world’s foremost players continued to play in Newport through various significant events.
From 1915 to 1967, the Casino Invitational hosted the world’s premier players. The list of tennis stars that played and won at Newport reads like a who’s who in tennis- “Big” Bill Tilden, “Little” Bill Johnston, Ellsworth Vines, Frank Shields, Wilmer Allison, Don Budge, Bobby Riggs, Don McNeil, Gardner Mulloy, Ted Schroeder, Bill Talbert, Pancho Gonzales, Frank Sedgman, Tony Trabert, Ken Rosewall, Mal Anderson, Rod Laver, Chuck McKinley, Roy Emerson, and Dennis Ralston.
The VASSS Pro Tennis Championships lasted from 1965 to 1970 and in 1971, professional women’s tennis finally came to Newport with the Professional Women’s Singles and the Professional Women Doubles from 1971-74. Standing room only crowds watched Kerry Melville, Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, and Françoise Dürr play exceptional tennis. The Virginia Slims of Newport returned from 1983-1990, and from 1991-1998 it was known as the Virginia Slims of Newport Invitation.
In 1976, the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, a stop on the ATP World Tour, debuted attracting many of the young talents on the men's tour. The tournament continues today, and in 2025 will host men and women professional tennis!
