To say Roger Federer is feeling nervous about taking part in tennis sounds nearly surreal. The person received 5 US Open titles through the peak of his dominance, lifting the trophy in 5 consecutive years from 2004 to 2008. Seven years after his final look on the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium, the Swiss tennis legend is ready for a return to Flushing Meadows — and even he’s uncertain what his sport will seem like this time, after years away from the game that when turned his motion and strokes into poetry in movement.
“I haven’t performed a singles set in, I don’t know, (Hubert) Hurkacz at Wimbledon possibly, so it’s been 5 years,” Federer mentioned Monday, referring to his 2021 quarter-final loss at Wimbledon, the ultimate Grand Slam match of his profession. “I don’t know the way it’s going to go tomorrow. So there may be quite a lot of uncertainty however quite a lot of happiness that I can return to Arthur Ashe, a spot the place I’ve had so many stunning moments.”
Federer will play two exhibition matches throughout US Open Fan Week on August 25. First, he’ll face 2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick in a one-set singles match. The 2 had famously met within the 2006 US Open ultimate, when Federer received his third title in New York.
Federer will then workforce up with John McEnroe in a doubles exhibition in opposition to Roddick and Andre Agassi.
However what a couple of return to aggressive tennis past that?
Serena Williams has made a comeback. Venus Williams continues to be competing. May Federer comply with their lead?
The 44-year-old was emphatic in shutting down that risk.
“No, no, no, no. No, by no means,” Federer mentioned throughout a information convention. “Thanks for asking. I wasn’t positive if the query was going to get requested, however I’m completely happy you probably did so I can make clear in case anyone thought.”
Regardless of a seven-year hole since his final look in New York, Federer drew an enormous crowd throughout his follow session at Arthur Ashe on Monday, an early reminder of the extraordinary pull he nonetheless instructions within the metropolis.
His return to New York is a part of a much bigger journey that can take him to Newport, Rhode Island, the place he shall be inducted into the Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame on Saturday.
Federer by no means actually obtained the possibility to say goodbye to New York as a participant. There was no approach of understanding on the time that his 2019 quarter-final loss to Grigor Dimitrov would show to be his ultimate US Open match.
That yr, Federer had nonetheless been competing on the sharp finish of the game. He reached the French Open semi-finals, dropping to Rafael Nadal, earlier than pushing Novak Djokovic to a fifth-set tie-break within the Wimbledon ultimate.
