Every August and September, the eyes of the tennis world are focused on New York, and commentators around the globe constantly mention the name “Flushing Meadows.” Although it is now synonymous with the US Open and top-tier tennis, the origin of this name actually has nothing to do with sports; it hides a fascinating story about the history of the United States.
How did a swampy landscape become a world-renowned sports center? The answer lies in the 17th century.
From the Dutch Vlissingen to New York’s Flushing
The story begins in 1645 when Dutch settlers arrived in the area of present-day Queens, New York. They founded a settlement and named it Vlissingen, after the port city of the same name in the southwestern Netherlands.
When the British later took control of the area (as well as the entire New Amsterdam, which they renamed New York), English settlers had trouble pronouncing the Dutch word “Vlissingen.” Over time, they adapted the name to their language, anglicized it, and the name Flushing was born.
What Does “Meadows” Actually Mean?
The second word in the name, “Meadows,” perfectly described the geographical appearance of the area at the time. Before the area was urbanized and developed, it was literally a vast valley full of meadows, swamps, and ash (the area even served as the inspiration for F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous “Valley of Ashes” in his novel The Great Gatsby).
When the City of New York decided to reclaim and transform this space in the 1930s, the beautiful Flushing Meadows-Corona Park was created.
The World’s Fair and the Famous Unisphere
Before the tennis courts were built here, Flushing Meadows Park hosted two historic World’s Fairs—in 1939 and 1964.
For the 1964 exhibition, the famous Unisphere was built—a giant stainless steel globe standing 140 feet (42 meters) tall, which still stands in the park today. That is why during US Open television broadcasts, you often see impressive shots of this massive globe right next to the tennis complex.
When Did the US Open Move to Flushing Meadows?
The US Open was not always played at this location. For a long time, the tournament was held in nearby Forest Hills. However, as the popularity of tennis exploded in the 1970s, organizers needed a much larger space.
In 1978, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) moved the tournament to the newly built USTA National Tennis Center within Flushing Meadows Park. This move allowed the tournament to become the global spectacle we know today, featuring stadiums that continuously break attendance records.
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