On Sept. 2, 1971, Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors both won their very first US Open singles matches.
Playing in her first US Open, the 16-year-old Evert defeated Edda Buding, 6-1, 6-0, in 42 minutes. Playing on his 19th birthday, Connors came back from a two-set deficit to defeat Alex Olmedo, 2-6, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5, 7-5.
Evert would go on to win six women’s singles titles, and Connors five men’s singles titles. Both are tied for the Open era record (Evert with Serena Williams in women's singles and Connors with Roger Federer and Pete Sampras in men's singles).
The two Americans also stand as the winningest players in tournament history. Evert won 101 matches in her US Open career, 12 better than second-place Martina Navratilova among women; Connors claimed 98 match victories, 19 more than second-place Andre Agassi in the men's ranks.
