Tennis

USTA to unveil first venue changes at US Open

Practice, practice, practice. Now you really can watch them up close at the U.S. Open, which begins Monday.

That’s the theme of Phase 1 of the U.S. Open’s four-year, $500 million transformation that in later years will be climaxed by a roof for Ashe Stadium, a new Grandstand and a new Armstrong Stadium.

However, the first wave of the USTA’s monster project is a prominent viewing deck hanging over the five “practice courts’’ and a ground-level walkway. The deck seats 1,400. Fans can also take in the obscure and redone outer courts (4, 5, 6) on the deck.

The ground-level walkway allows fans to go behind each of the practice courts. It lessens the scrum by the fence of the “P’’ courts for attendees who tried getting a faraway glimpse of the Federers and Serenas hitting and talking with their coaches before matches and on their off-days. That area by the fence is still there for autograph-seekers.

“We’ve seen the growing appreciation of fans wanting to watch practice,’’ USTA spokesman Chris Widmaier said. “It’s become a fan magnet.’’

The other visible change for the expected 700,000-plus-attendees across the Flushing fortnight is the first evidence of a new roof — 3-foot high steel pedestals stick out of the ground, encircling Ashe Stadium, now disguised as planters.

The steel pylons have been driven 150 feet into the ground.

The pylons will support steel columns that will rise up and eventually form the roof. So it’s not an eyesore — one of the pedestals is camoflouged inside an outdoor bar, making it look part of the décor.

“It’s the tip of the iceberg,’’ Widmaier said. “These pedestals eventually will hold the roof in place. The last six months, they’ve been pounded on a daily basis into the ground.’’

There is plenty of complicated architecture left, but the Ashe roof will be ready for the 2016 Open, following suit with the other Grand Slams. Wimbledon and the Australian Open have roofs and the French Open has plans in place for one, too.

Also in 2016, the new 8,000-seat Grandstand court will be finished in a different area than the current one. The current Grandstand seats 5,000, attached to Armstrong Stadium.

Armstrong — the Open’s second show court, will be torn down after the 2015 Open. A half-completed Armstrong will be used for the 2017 Open in the same spot. The full-blown, 15,000-seat Armstrong will be ready for 2018.

The current Armstrong holds just 10,500.