Sport Group's Laykold chosen as new court surface for the US Open

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) has announced that following an extensive request for proposal process, Laykold has been selected as the new court surface for the US Open and the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

The five year agreement will begin with the 2020 US Open begins on Monday 24th August with US Open Fan Week and the US Open Qualifying Tournament and will be in place for the Main Draw of the 2020 US Open which runs from 31st August to 13th September.

The new Laykold courts will be manufactured by Advanced Polymer Technology (APT), a member of Sport Group, the world’s largest business dedicated to sports surfaces. APT is unique in the industry for its fully integrated global supply chain – from raw materials to installation. This integrated supply chain will allow for the consistency in court quality control, playing performance and sustainability. Laykold courts are the only courts with vapor barrier designed specifically for the court system, which also greatly increases consistency in both court performance and court speed.

The Laykold courts also come with the strongest environment credentials in the industry. APT is the only ISO 14001 environmental-certified court manufacturer in the world. As such, they are fully compliant with all aspects of sustainability and aligned with the USTA’s sustainability commitments and values.

The change of surface will be the first at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center since 1978.

Commenting on the partnership, Danny Zausner, Chief Operating Officer of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, stated “at the conclusion of the complete transformation of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, we felt it was time to explore all new approaches and technologies to court surfacing.

“During this exploration, Laykold quickly rose to the top, and working with them, we are confident we will have the best-playing and best-performing courts in the world.”

Jim Sacco, Chief Operating Officer of Advanced Polymer Technology, added “Laykold has been trusted in the tennis court industry for 75 years and to add the US Open to our roster of major events around the world is a landmark moment for us.

“We have been waiting for an opportunity to showcase our quality at the world’s biggest tennis tournament, and we are delighted to have been chosen. We are grand slam ready.”

Laykold also provides court surfaces for many professional tennis events and professional tennis exhibitions around the world, including the Miami Open and New York Open.

The USTA has previously utilized Laykold at three Fed Cup ties held in the United States.

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Images: Laykold in use at the Milwaukee Classic (top) and the US Open (below, courtesy of the USTA).