The tennis arena isn’t just about skill and tenacity; the condition of the courts plays a crucial role too, though it’s often overlooked. With the US Open just around the corner, the spotlight is now on the courts themselves—especially those with retractable roofs. These surfaces can significantly impact a player’s performance, and with the stakes so high, it’s a topic that deserves attention. 

Following five consecutive seasons of the US Open impacted by rain, the USTA in 2010 initiated a master planning process to find a solution. It was then that the idea of implementing a retractable roof was pondered. Finally, after much deliberation, the responsibility of making changes to the court was given to ROSSETTI, which completed the project in 2016.

Putting a cover on top of Ashe Stadium was an architectural challenge since the stadium sits on marshy land. However, the engineers witnessed eventual success with the firm first making the addition to the main stadium of the US Open, the Arthur Ashe Stadium. This $150 million retractable roof emerged as the largest of any tennis stadium in the world, which is famous for its lightweight and octagonal design and measures 520’x 520’ (236,600 square feet.)

But other than the 27-year-old Arthur Ashe Stadium, there is just one more stadium that has this facility at the US Open. The Louis Armstrong Stadium, a 14,069-seat venue located at the National Tennis Center also hosts the same facility as the Arthur Ashe Stadium. It started to host official matches in 2018, and it was the same year when the retractable roof feature was implemented on this court as well. The fascinating feature of this stadium is the fact that it encourages airflow while keeping the rain away. Interestingly, the retractable roof feature is not extremely difficult to handle.

One control room on the broadcast level of Ashe operates both roofs for the U.S. Open. These roofs can withstand extremely high winds and can be opened or closed depending on the weather. It also ensures that the play is not impacted on these courts irrespective of the weather conditions, thereby saving players from frustrating moments. The scenario of the retractable roofs at the US Open is not much different from other slams. 

There are two courts with retractable roofs at the French Open and Wimbledon as well. While such a feature is available on the Centre Court and Court 1 of Wimbledon, Roland Garros features the facility on Court Philippe Chatrier and Suzanne Lenglen. The Australian Open, meanwhile, has the same facility on three courts – Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena, and Melbourne Arena. But while the retractable roofs are a great relief for spectators and players, they indeed pose significant challenges for the operators.

When the US Open roof operator revealed the challenges 

US Open organizers have long faced the heat of the fans and tennis enthusiasts who have demanded such a facility. While it was eventually introduced, the operators are always worried about certain scenarios. Mark Sharamitaro, who was instrumental in the designing of the retractable roof system and also served as the lead operator of those roofs talked about the challenges in an interview with Popular Mechanics. 

“I’m worried about unexpected storms because of the wind. It is not because of the wind and the structure, but because the wind pushes water places where I won’t want water. That is pretty much my overall concern, that something abnormal would get into the system,” Sharamitaro said, highlighting the challenges.

With the US Open once again around the corner, such courts would certainly reduce the troubles of the tennis players. What remains even more certain is the series of thrilling showdowns that would unfold on these courts.