Rain disrupted the U.S. Open’s Sunday night session when a sensor malfunction delayed the closing of the roof at Louis Armstrong Stadium. This incident resulted in increased sales of the tournament’s popular drink, the Honey Deuce.
The day’s weather was initially fine, though humid. The evening matches commenced just after 7 p.m. ET. On Louis Armstrong Stadium, Elina Svitolina, seeded ninth, defeated Argentina’s Solana Sierra with a swift score of 6-1, 6-2 within 51 minutes. This set the stage for an earlier-than-expected match between Alexander Bublik, the 15th seed, and American wild card J.J. Wolf.
However, approximately 20 minutes after Svitolina’s victory, rain began. While outside courts halted play, the roofs of Armstrong and Arthur Ashe Stadium offered protection for the remaining players, including Novak Djokovic and Mariano Navone.
Despite this safeguard, Armstrong’s roof failed to close on time. A mechanical issue with the roof sensors, as reported by a USTA spokesperson, left the stadium exposed to rain. The delay, combined with the time required to dry the court, resulted in a 90-minute wait for Bublik and Wolf to start their match.
When the roof eventually closed, fans expressed relief with cheers. Concession lines that had grown due to the wait began to shorten, and the match finally commenced at approximately 9:30 p.m. ET.
By 9:45 p.m. ET, at least one bar at Louis Armstrong Stadium had exhausted its supply of melon balls for the Honey Deuce drinks.
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