It was brought to life last month so tennis enthusiasts could enjoy their sport in all weathers all year round.
But already the bubble has burst on the University’s £103,000 inflatable dome thanks to strong winds.
Before-and-after snaps shows the extent to which the roof flopped during heavy rain and 70 mph gusts which battered the York Sport Centre on the Heslington West campus yesterday evening.
It means that play on the affected three outdoor hard courts has been suspended until repair workers can be drafted in to assess the damage.
Although the bubble was empty at the time of collapse, officials had claimed in a recent news story that it would protect players ‘from the elements’.
The university’s Head of Sport Keith Morris said: “Some damage was caused by yesterday’s high winds when all play was also stopped on all outdoor facilities in order to protect people against the extreme conditions.”
He added that the supplier of the dome had been contacted for damage assessment and a timescale for repair would become known following their work.
YUSU Sports President Cassandra Brown said that the dome’s collapse was a ‘shame’.
She added: “I’m thankful that nobody was hurt and that it’s repairable so hopefully we’ll have our students in the dome again as soon as possible.”
Sam Davies, the university’s Tennis Club president, said: “It’s such a shame the dome has come down. After having it up for only 2 weeks, it worked really well and we enjoyed playing inside.
“It has disrupted our team training, and hopefully will be resumed as normal very soon.”
The Met Office issued an amber ‘be prepared’ alert warning yesterday for the windy weather.
Trees were brought down and a York store roof collapsed in the gusts which were combined with heavy downpours.
The North Yorkshire Police service advised the public to stay indoors and rethink their travel arrangements following reports of the event.