50 Years of Influence, US Open: Arlen Kantarian

**WATCH—Stories of the Open Era - Tennis in Media: **

In the five decades since the first US Open, these are the players, innovators and newsmakers whose contributions have helped make it one of our nation’s essential sporting events

“Tennis doesn’t have an idea problem,” Kantarian said in the early months of his tenure at the USTA. “It has a get-it-done problem.”

In 2000, Kantarian was named head of pro tennis at the USTA with the express purpose of fixing that problem. He had worked for the NFL and Radio City Music Hall, and he brought a no-idea-is-off-the-table sense of showmanship with him.

Women’s finals in prime time? Kantarian leveraged the popularity of the Williams sisters to make it happen, in 2001. Instant replay? The Open was the first major to institute it, in 2005. A US Open Series tying the tournament’s lead-up events together? Kantarian and his team made the byzantine logistics work. A concert in Arthur Ashe Stadium? It’s an annual event now. A Slam with 32 seeds? Kantarian worked to increase them from 16, which reduced upsets and helped lead to the dominance of the ATP’s Big Four.

Over nine years, Kantarian made innovations that once seemed outlandish and unfeasible into signature elements of the Open. He had plenty of ideas, and he didn’t have a problem getting them done.