The legendary Arthur Ashe won three Grand Slam singles titles and two Grand Slam doubles titles during his spectacular tennis career. In this article, let’s take a closer look at the famous Arthur Ashe Stadium.
He was an influential figure both on and off the field. The Arthur Ashe Stadium was opened in 1997 and it was a fitting homage to the legendary player. The Arthur Ashe Stadium was renovated in 2016. It is located at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, New York City.
The historic stadium is a part of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. It is the main stadium of the US Open tennis tournament. The Arthur Ashe Stadium is the largest tennis stadium in the world with an impressive capacity of 23,771.
The original stadium design which was completed in 1997, did not have a roof. However, after suffering delays due to inclement weather for several years, a new lightweight retractable roof was constructed and completed in 2016.
When did the retractable roof make its debut?
The roof was designed by Rossetti Architects and the structure was engineered by WSP Global Geiger Engineers. The engineer of Record for the mechanization system was Hardesty & Hanover in partnership with Morgan Engineering.
The roof made its debut in the 2016 US Open competition. On August 31st, Rafael Nadal and Andreas Seppi squared off in the second round of the prestigious tournament.
The legendary Spaniard won the match in straight sets but the roof was the star of the day. Fans were in awe of the structure and it received a lot of praise.
The Arthur Ashe Stadium is gearing up to play host to the greatest players in modern-day tennis once again when the 2022 US Open gets underway on August 29.
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