Louis Armstrong Stadium (1978–2016)

Louis Armstrong Stadium

Louis Armstrong Stadium as seen from Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Location	USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing, Queens, New York
Owner	USTA
Capacity	10,200
Surface	DecoTurf
Opened	1978
Tenants
US Open<center\>

Louis Armstrong Stadium is a tennis stadium of the US Open, the last of each year's four Grand Slam tournaments. It is located at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, in the New York City borough of Queens; it was the main stadium before Arthur Ashe Stadium opened in 1997, and is now the No. 2 stadium. The stadium was named after the famous African American jazz musician, Louis Armstrong (who lived nearby until his death in 1971).

Inside Armstrong Stadium during the 2010 US Open.

The stadium opened on the site in 1964 for the 1964 New York World's Fair and due to the sponsorship of the Singer Corporation it was called the Singer Bowl. In 1978, the US Open moved to Flushing from Forest Hills. The Singer Bowl was heavily renovated to host the Open, essentially being divided into two new stadiums, Louis Armstrong Stadium and the adjacent Grandstand. The stadium held close to 18,000 at its peak usage.

In 1997, the stadium was replaced by Arthur Ashe Stadium as the main stadium for the US Open. Louis Armstrong Stadium was renovated again, reducing its capacity to around 10,200 and adding a brick facade to match that of the adjacent Ashe Stadium.

Attached to the Louis Armstrong Stadium is the Grandstand, the third largest stadium at the US Open with a seating capacity of about 6,000.

In November 2010 the USTA approved plans to demolish and rebuild the Louis Armstrong stadium. Its replacement won't have a roof but will have scope for a roof if needed.

See also

• List of tennis stadiums by capacity

References

• "Ashe & Armstrong Stadiums". United States Tennis Association's official website. Retrieved June 30, 2005.

External links

• Views of Louis Armstrong Stadium