Play at the US Open 2024 was momentarily disrupted on Tuesday during the fourth-round matches due to a fire alarm. The alarm was triggered in the building housing the technical booth where the electronic line calling (ELC) system, known as Hawkeye, operates. Since the tournament at Flushing Meadows does not have traditional line judges, it relies entirely on Hawkeye for line calls.
Television footage captured officials leaving the video replay room following the halt of play. Tournament organizers issued a statement explaining the situation, stating that the fire alarm in the broadcast building, which also houses the ELC Live operations, led to an evacuation of the building. All play across the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center was halted as a precautionary measure. Thankfully, the alarm proved to be false, and play resumed after a six-minute interruption.
At Arthur Ashe Stadium, Daniil Medvedev, the fifth seed, was in the midst of a dominant performance against Nuno Borges, leading 6-0, 6-1, 1-2 when the chair umpire halted play. Medvedev and Borges were informed of the situation and instructed to wait. Medvedev ultimately went on to secure a convincing victory, winning 6-0, 6-1, 6-3.
Meanwhile, the women’s match between Caroline Wozniacki and Beatriz Haddad Maia at Louis Armstrong Stadium was also halted for approximately six minutes before play resumed. This unexpected disruption added a brief but significant wrinkle to the day’s matches at the US Open.
