New York is the noisiest major.

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal suggests the US Open put a lid on the loudness when the Arthur Ashe Stadium’s retractable roof is closed.

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Playing beneath the closed roof today, Nadal muted Dusan Lajovic’s early uprising, 7-6 (6), 6-2, 6-2 in his US Open opener.

Afterward, Nadal said the closed roof created a tennis echo chamber.

“Being honest, (noise) is a little bit too much,” Nadal said with a smile. “You know, I don't know how to control that or the umpire have to control that, because at the same time is not fair only say that. The real thing is here, the energy and support of the crowd is massive. I enjoy it and I have unforgettable memories from this tournament and this court, because the energy is different from in other places.

“But at the same time is true that today, under the roof, was too much. Too much noise, no? I was not able to hear the ball when you are hitting, no?”

The two-time former US Open champion, who enjoys vocal support in New York, said while he thrives on the crowd energy, the tournament should limit the noise.

“I understand it's a show, at the end of the day, and I enjoy that,” Nadal said. “I feel part of this, of course, but under the roof, you know, we need to be a little bit more strict about the noise, in my opinion, no? Because all the noise stays inside, and this is difficult, no? With the roof open, feeling change a lot.”

The sound of the ball coming off the strings provides an audble clue to the pace of the opponent’s shot that is muted with a closed roof, Nadal said.

“Is tough. Is tough,” Nadal said. “Because if I not wrong, and you can check on the TV, sometimes I say to him stop with the serve, and he was not able to hear me. So you can imagine how much noise you feel out there. So difficult to analyze how the ball is coming when you are not hearing very well the sound of the opponent's ball.”

Three of the four Grand Slam tournaments—Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open—installed roofs over center courts though Nadal suggested the US Open is the loudest of those courts.
Photo credit: @USOpen