For this gold anniversary, the United States Tennis Association decided to reinvent its visual identity. The mark that had been used for 20 years—an illustration of a flaming ball paired with thin serif type and a red swoosh—was a complicated image that had challenges in digital media and did not represent the tournament well as a premium sporting and entertainment brand. There were also several versions of the mark, which made it difficult to build recognition. While the rendition of the mark posed challenges, the core concept of a flaming tennis ball still captures many of the attributes of the U.S. Open—energy, excitement, movement.
The U.S. Open is the fourth and final Grand Slam
The U.S. Open is the fourth and final Grand Slam tennis event following the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon. Watched by over 23 million people in the U.S. alone, the U.S. Open is the world’s most attended annual sporting event. The total prize money awarded athletes tops $50 million dollars.
The tournament began as the U.S. National Championship in 1881. In 1968, when the tournament was first opened to professionals, disparate competitions were merged into a single tennis event —which became known as the U.S. Open. 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the Open Era.
