Retired Federer serves up treat for Australian Open fans with first ‘match’ there in 6 years
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Swiss legend Roger Federer (above), 44, beat world No. 13 Casper Ruud in a single tiebreak during a practice session that was watched by a packed Rod Laver Arena.
PHOTO: AFP
Fans at the Australian Open were treated to a rare sight on Jan 16 when tennis legend Roger Federer made an appearance on the court at Rod Laver Arena with a racquet in his hand for the first time since 2020.
His last professional match was at the Laver Cup in September 2022
During the 35-minute practice session, which was streamed live on YouTube, Federer’s signature elegant brand of tennis was on full display.
Always a fan favourite, Federer walked out to massive cheers from a packed arena in Melbourne that included 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. He then exchanged warm-up rallies with Ruud, who is 27, before the pair ended the session with a tiebreak game.
Fans on social media gushed over Federer’s cameo.
X user Julien Duncan said: “It’s AMAZING to watch him playing tennis again!!”
Analysing Federer’s game, Instagram username tennis_mission wrote: “Incredible technique and hitting as always, the best textbook technique of any tennis player.”
Tennis coach Michael Mouskides even asked: “Can we get this man a last-minute wildcard (entry into the Australian Open)?”
Sharing the sentiment, the on-court interviewer cheekily asked Federer if he would accept a wildcard to this year’s tournament.
But Federer replied: “No, I’m not here to play. My calf is twitchy, the body is not ready, my mind’s not ready. I’m just loving Melbourne for what it is and it’s just nice to come back here after so many years.”
Fans will still get to see Federer in action at the Rod Laver Arena again when he plays a doubles exhibition match as part of the tournament’s opening ceremony on Jan 17. He will partner fellow great Andre Agassi to take on Australian legends Patrick Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt.
Addressing the crowd after the session on Jan 16, Federer said: “It was such a privilege to be back out on Rod Laver Arena. Thank you for coming out and making it very special for me. It got me extra nervous but sets me up very nicely for tomorrow.”
After the session, Federer and Ruud chatted and signed autographs for fans before Federer shared a selfie with Ruud on his Instagram Stories.
The Australian Open was not lacking star power this year with Mandopop star Jay Chou taking part in the One Point Slam
The year’s first Grand Slam begins on Jan 18 with the likes of men’s and women’s world No. 1s Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka in action.
