The phrase “national tennis tournament” most often refers to the original U.S. National Championships, which later became the U.S. Open, and that tournament started in 1881 in Newport, Rhode Island.

Quick Scoop

  • The first major national-level tennis event in the United States was held in 1880 at the Staten Island Cricket and Baseball Club, but that was more of a precursor event.
  • The formal U.S. National Lawn Tennis Association was founded in May 1881 specifically to standardize rules and organize national competitions.
  • The first official U.S. National Men’s Singles Championship (the national tournament that evolved into today’s U.S. Open) was held later in 1881 at Newport, Rhode Island.
  • Women’s national championships in singles followed a few years later, beginning in 1887.

If by “national tennis tournament” you meant a different country’s national event (for example, early French, German, or Australian national championships), those generally began in the late 19th century as well, but the best‑documented early “National Championships” in tennis are the U.S. events starting in 1881.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.