National Tennis Center to Close on Eve of U.S. Open; Kids’ Day Canceled

The U.S. Open tennis tournament will close its grounds starting tomorrow afternoon and stay closed through Aug. 28, the day before the event is to start, because of the threat posed by Hurricane Irene.

“The tournament site will close no later than 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27,” the season’s final Grand Slam tournament said in a statement. Its Flushing Meadows, New York, site will remain closed on Aug. 28. The event is scheduled to begin on Aug. 29.

Tournament organizers also canceled their annual Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day, scheduled for tomorrow.

The hurricane is forecast to hit the New York area on Sunday.

The U.S. Open has been hampered by bad weather in recent years. The past three men’s finals have been played on the Monday after the finals weekend because of rain.

Unlike Wimbledon and the Australian Open, the U.S. Open doesn’t have a roof over its main stadium court. The French Open is planning to build a retractable roof over its main court, which will leave the New York tournament as the only tennis major without a roof.

To contact the reporter on this story: Danielle Rossingh in London at 3628 or drossingh@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Chris Elser at celser@bloomberg.net msillup@bloomberg.net