RAISING THE ROOF
Though the new retractable roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium is unlikely to be used, there’s still a lot to talk about.
Out of necessity
The lack of a retractable roof over US Open’s main stadium was a subject of criticism, and the United States Tennis Association decided to install the roof after rain delays postponed the men’s final for five years in a row, from 2008-2012. But the stadium was not constructed to bear the extra weight of a roof and sits, along with the rest of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, on the gelatinous marshland.
A monster structure
The structure constructed is less a roof and more a 5,000-ton freestanding pavilion rising 125 feet on 24 steel columns. They support a gently domical, 80-foot-high, 4.4-acre expanse of translucent, milky-white fabric membrane covered in Teflon with a 250-by-250foot opening — equivalent of more than 20 tennis courts.
Handle with care
Only the tournament referee, Brian Earley, can decide when to close the roof. The roof will be used only for inclement weather and not for protection from sun!
About time
US Open is the third Grand Slam to have a court with retractable roof. Wimbledon got one in 2009 and the Rod Laver and Margaret Court arena at Australian Open too have roofs. French Open -which saw a flurry of rain delays this year -- is the only major to not feature a roof.