Two feasibility studies into the possibility of a roof have been conducted in the past decade but on both occasions the USTA said the money would be better spent on grassroots tennis around the country.
Moreover, the USTA say the sheer size of Arthur Ashe Stadium, which seats 23,700 people, makes it almost impossible, structurally, to place a roof on top.
The US Open prides itself on being the biggest and best of the four Grand Slam events, with total attendance over the 700,000 mark for the fortnight.
According to Bloomberg News, companies pay a total of around $50m a year to sponsor the tournament.
Getting public funding for a $100m upgrade might be difficult in the current economic climate, while one source said yesterday it would be cheaper to tear the whole thing down and start from scratch.
The ground beneath the other two showcourts is reportedly not suitable to carry the weight of a roof on top.
Yesterday's washout was the latest in a long line of cancelled sessions at the US Open in recent years, costing the tournament millions of dollars in revenue.
When the idea of a roof was last mooted, in 2009, former world No1 John McEnroe said he had tried to get the USTA to build a roof when Arthur Ashe Stadium was opened in 1997.
McEnroe said the idea was a "no-brainer" but the desire to build the biggest stadium of any Grand Slam event was considered more important than any forward thinking.
The Australian Open built its first covered court in 1988, adding a second in 2000 and a third is due to open in 2015. The French Open announced earlier this year that it will build a new covered stadium for the 2016 event.
