The newly-fitted roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium, which serves as the main venue for the US Open grand slam tennis tournament in New York, has been criticised by some players who feel it is too noisy to play under.
The roof made its debut last Wednesday during Rafa Nadal’s second-round match with Andreas Seppi, with the game halted due to rain. The roof closed without a problem and play was able to resume after less than 10 minutes.
The roof has been utilised on numerous occasions since and has opened and closed without fault. However, the stadium’s acoustics have resulted in the noise of the rain and the crowd reverberating around the court, which has led to some players voicing their concern.
Women’s third seed Garbiñe Muguruza said she could not feel silence “at any moment” during her second-round loss to Anastasija Sevastova. Andy Murray also said he could not hear the ball connecting with his racket during his second-round victory over Marcel Granollers.
The $150m (£112m/€134m) roof was fitted in time for this year’s tournament, which got underway on August 29. The stadium’s new look leaves the French Open as the only grand slam without a roof. Wimbledon’s Centre Court and the Australian Open’s Rod Laver Arena both feature retractable roofs.
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