New York (AFP) - Rafael Nadal has conquered the French Open 10 times and battled career-threatening knee and wrist injuries, but his greatest challenge awaits him -- telling rowdy New Yorkers to be quiet.

The world number one and two-time US Open champion took his first-round record at the season's concluding Grand Slam to 13-0 on Tuesday with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-2, 6-2 win over Serbia's Dusan Lajovic.

But with torrential rain lashing the Flushing Meadows site, the Roof on the showpiece Arthur Ashe stadium was shut tight, creating a giant echo-chamber for the boisterous crowd of 24,000 beneath.

Nadal's complaints echoed similar concerns made by Andy Murray last year when the huge $150 million roof over the world's biggest tennis stadium was rolled into action for the first time.

Murray was suffering from a hip injury and his decision to pull out of the event, where he would have been second seed, came too late to affect Nadal's half of the draw which he shares with old rival Roger Federer .