The first U.S. National Lawn Tennis Championship was played in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1881 on the now legendary grass courts at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. That tournament evolved into the US Open. The Hall of Fame Open remains the only professional tournament played on grass outside of Europe.
If memory serves, it used to be an ATP 250, so it's been downgraded & I rather think that the courts are legendary because they are anything but smooth!
QR1: (ALT) Takeru Yuzuki (JPN) WR 1453 (CH = 1278 in August 2022) vs (q11) Oscar Weightman WR 1024 (CH = 603 in August 2022)
Its been a 250 until this year, downgraded with a number of calendar changes and moved from week following Wimbledon to during it. I think Los Cabos took its slot next week in the moves. In losing its tour status, it added a womens event and so is bigger this year them the past.
Over the years as a 250, some Brits have done well here. Rusedski won it twice and Martin Lee was runner up in 2001; Richard Bloomfield famously went on a run to the last 4 or 8 one year, his only time doing so in an ATP event.
