Before the first ball was served at this year’s United States Open, tournament officials were busy trying to address the extra noise that caused disruption in Arthur Ashe Stadium last year after its new $150 million roof had been installed.
They neutralized sounds coming from two air conditioning units and a cellphone tower, believed to be the source of much of the commotion, but one significant noisemaker remained: the crowd.
With the roof closed because of rain Tuesday, top-seeded Rafael Nadal of Spain certainly noticed the cacophony caused by the chatter and drone of the fans under the structure.