The most visible change at the United States Open this year is hard to miss. Long before fans get to the U.S.T.A. Billie Jean King National Tennis Center by road or by rail, they will notice the new shape of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The superstructure of a retractable roof, more than 6,000 tons of crisscrossing steel, was completed this summer, creating a dramatic new look for tennis’s largest stadium.
The roof is not quite done, and the Open is not quite rainproof. The retractable portions will not be added until after this year’s tournament.