Who is the only tennis player to have won the U.S. open on three different surfaces?

Jimmy Connors is the only player to have won the US Open championship on all three surfaces. He won on grass in 1974, on clay (Har-Tru) in 1976 and on hard court (DecoTurf II) in 1978.

Grass Surface

Both the US National Singles Championship for men in Rhode Island and the US National Singles Championship for women in Philadelphia were played on grass courts. In 1915 the tournament outgrew the Newport Casino venue and was moved to the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y., however grass remained the court surface of the tournament.

Har-Tru Surface

Throughout the years, tennis players criticized how the ball bounced on the grass courts of the West Side Tennis Club. In response to their concerns, the court surface was changed to Har-Tru clay courts for the 1975 US Open tournament. Har-Tru is a green clay made from a gray-green crushed stone.

DecoTurf II Surface

In 1978, the US Open tennis tournament changed venues again and moved to Flushing Meadows, N.Y., where it continues to be held as of 2010. The courts were changed to a hard court surface called DecoTurf II. This is a durable hard court surface and the fairest surface for playing tennis because of its consistent speed of play. In 2005, the color of the color surface was changed. The inner court was changed to blue with the surrounding outer court a green color. It is believed that this color scheme makes it easier for players, fans and television viewers to track the ball.