Overview

• The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, including Arthur Ashe Stadium, is operating with shielded LED systems approved last year as dark sky–friendly.
• DarkSky International has certified more than 30 sports facilities since 2019 after expanding into arenas, using pre-approval designs and post-installation measurements of glow and glare.
• USTA’s decade-long lighting overhaul replaced metal-halide fixtures with wedge-shaped, visor-shielded LEDs that focus illumination on courts and run at reduced brightness for non-tournament use.
• Program head James Brigagliano estimates dark-sky-compliant projects cost about 5%–10% more and may add targeted fixtures, with many venues upgrading during routine maintenance through firms such as Musco.
• Experts note even best-in-class systems still produce some light pollution, yet community projects from Apache Junction, Arizona, to Université Sainte-Anne in Canada report reduced spill and wildlife benefits.