The roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium, which was installed in 2016. Photo by Richard Drew / AP Photo
The U.S. Open, the largest American tennis tournament, is in the midst of a heat wave.
Not only is the tennis tournament on fire due to the extreme play and star power, but it’s also on fire due to the current heat wave hitting New York City. Arthur Ashe Stadium, located in Queens, is the main host of the big tournament each year. And in early September, the city is seeing its first heat wave all summer.
Blazing Temps
Temperatures easily hit the 90s the week of the tournament, with humidity levels topping 50 percent. This prompted the U.S. Open to devise a new policy regarding the stadium roofs. To offer some extra shade, the roofs will be partially closed for the remainder of the tournament.
The policy was enacted during the match between Coco Gauff and Jelena Ostapenko, but the match ended too quickly to adjust the roof. Gauff would end up beating Ostapenko in a 6-0, 6-2 victory. The roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium, which is retractable, is usually open, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
“I’m drenched in sweat,” Novak Djokovic said. “Just very humid conditions.”
Nearby Louis Armstrong Stadium, the secondary host of the tournament, also had its roof adjusted. It was pulled shut during a women’s double quarterfinal match which saw Luisa Stefani and Jennifer Brady square off against Bernarda Pera and Magda Linette.
“It was definitely hot. I feel like we played some pretty physical, long points in the beginning of the match,” Taylor Fritz said. “After a couple, it hit me. I’d say it’s more the humidity than anything. I feel like [when] it’s just really humid…it just drains you.”
The 2023 U.S. Open began on August 28 and will conclude on September 10.
