The roof ... the roof ... the roof is on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

On Aug. 2, the USTA officially unveiled the retractable roof at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. After a three-year project, the U.S. Open becomes the third Grand Slam to own a roof, leaving the French Open in the dust.

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The Arthur Ashe Stadium roof features two panels sitting atop a 6,500-ton steel surface. The contraption can move at a top speed of 25 feet per minute and can close in under seven minutes. A product of the Detroit-based architecture firm, ROSSETTI, the roof is ready for this year's U.S. Open, which begins on Aug. 29.

As the National Tennis Center continues a string of renovations, the new Grandstand Stadium, also a three-year project, opens this U.S. Open. Located on the southern portion of campus, an area previously unused for tennis, the new Grandstand (premier venue No. 3) holds 8,125 seats, an upgrade from the old 6,000-seat stadium. Next up in the U.S. Open's renovation period will be a revamped Louis Armstrong Stadium. The No. 2 venue on the grounds served as U.S. Open center court from 1978-1996.


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Follow Jeffrey Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband.