US Open (tennis) US$25,000 each. Beginning in 1975, the tournament was played on clay courts instead of grass, and floodlights allowed matches to be played at night. In 1978, the tournament moved from the West Side Tennis Club to the larger and newly constructed USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens, three miles to the north. The tournament's court surface also switched from clay to hard. Jimmy Connors is the only individual to have won US Open singles titles on three surfaces (grass, clay, and hard), while Chris Evert is the only woman to win US Open singles titles on two surfaces
1971 US Open – Women's Singles 1971 US Open – Women's Singles Two-time reigning champion Margaret Court did not defend her title. Billie Jean King defeated Rosemary Casals 6–4, 7–6 (5-2) in the final to win the Women's Singles tennis title at the 1971 US Open. This tournament was notable for being the first Grand Slam appearance in which Chris Evert competed in the main draw, she made it to the semi-final. She competed in 19 consecutive US Open tournaments until her retirement in 1989. The seeded players are listed below. Billie Jean King is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.