NEW YORK — Novak Djokovic won’t mind if it rains for the next two weeks in New York.

The U.S. Open’s Arthur Ashe Stadium is now covered by a retractable roof. And based on his experiences at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, which already have one, the 12-time major champ expects more humid conditions once the panels shut – which make for a slower court.

“It allows returners like myself to get into the rally rather than seeing missiles pass by from the serves,” Djokovic said Friday.

He added with a chuckle: “I wouldn’t complain, honestly, to play an indoor U.S. Open throughout the whole two weeks.”

Roger Federer, sidelined by a knee injury, also predicted this week that the roof will aid Djokovic. The Serb begins the defense of his U.S. Open title Monday night on Ashe, where he’ll likely play all his matches.

The $150 million project to construct a roof over Ashe features an air management system and sliding shutters that seal the stadium, designed to minimize the humidity Djokovic so enjoys.

U.S. Tennis Association officials say tests have shown little difference in the conditions open or closed, but the proof will come once matches are first held under the roof.

When that will be is for Mother Nature to determine. Wimbledon champ Andy Murray couldn’t help but quip: “I’ll bet it doesn’t rain this year.”

Indeed, the extended forecast as of Sunday showed little chance of rain for the tournament’s first week. The U.S. Open has two meteorologists on site at all times who use proprietary software to track the likelihood of storms.

It takes about seven minutes for the roof to close, and if the court is dry, tournament director David Brewer said, the overall delay won’t be much longer than that. The players won’t leave the court during the process.

If it starts raining before the roof is closed, the interruption will be longer to dry the court, though Brewer hopes to avoid that scenario.

“Frankly because we have so many people there and because so many people have asked for a roof for so long, I think we’re going to be pre-emptive in our moves to stay ahead of the weather a little bit,” he said.

Even if it never rains, the roof is guaranteed to be closed at least once in the next two weeks. It will be shut at the start of Phil Collins’ opening ceremony concert Monday night, then slide open during the performance.