USTA Still Thinking Roof, but Uncertain on Time Frame

By Chris Oddo

(August 26, 2012)--Speaking to reporters today at the US Open, USTA Chief Executive Gordon Smith once again danced around the subject of putting a roof on colossal Arthur Ashe Stadium. This time, to the delight of many, the dance was a little closer than it was in June when the USTA originally announced its plans for a $500 million revamp of the US Open’s grounds in the coming decade.

In June, the public’s enthusiasm for the USTA’s plan to rebuild and expand Louis Armstrong Stadium and Grandstand, plus add a double-deck viewing area for fans to view player practice sessions, was heavily tempered by the lack of a clear-cut solution to--or proper acknowledgment of--the US Open’s growing need for a working roof.

With inclement weather causing four consecutive Monday men's singles finals at the US Open, clamor from fans and players for a retractable roof has grown exponentially. Still, Smith reiterated today in a conference with reporters that the technology necessary to put a roof on top of 23,700-capacity Arthur Ashe Stadium does not currently exist.

However, Smith believes that the day will come when the US Open can boast a roof like its Grand Slam brethren at Wimbledon and the Australian Open. He just doesn’t know when—or how. Roland Garros, the only other Grand Slam venue still currently without a roof on any court, plans to have a roof for Court Philippe Chatrier finished in the next five years.

“Technology has not quite gotten us there, but we are very encouraged by where we are going,” said Smith. “When the roof design becomes feasible, it will be put into the plan.”

According to a USA Today article, Smith said that parts of the upper deck could someday be replaced with lighter-weight material that would make a roof feasible. Currently, the roof is considered an impossibility due to the size of the structure and the fact that it has been built on landfill that is less stable than an ideal soil.

The USTA also announced it’s commitment to granting the men a day of rest between the semifinal and final rounds, starting in 2013. They haven’t decided yet whether the semifinals will be moved to Friday or the final will be moved to Monday to make the plan work.

(Photo Credit: Patrick Mcdermott/ Getty)