With the start of the @USOpen today, let's go 🔙 to how it began. ◾️The tournament was first played in Newport, RI in 1881, and was known at the time as the U.S. Nationals. ◾️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, leading the United States National Lawn Tennis Association to relocate the championships to the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York. The U.S. Nationals evolved into what is now the @usopen. #USOpen #Tennis #TennisHistory #History