Roger Federer is back in New York to entertain American fans ahead of the 2026 US Open. The Swiss legend will take part in the “Roger Federer: An Icon Returns to New York” exhibition during Fan Week at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday, August 25.
However, speaking at a press conference ahead of the event, Federer clarified that he has no plans to make an official comeback, unlike Serena Williams, who is set to make an official appearance at this year’s tournament.
Roger Federer Rules Out Competing in Official Capacity Like Venus and Serena Williams
Federer, like Serena Williams, bid farewell to professional tennis in September 2022. While the American legend chose the US Open as her farewell tournament, Federer called time on his illustrious career playing doubles alongside Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup, the team event he helped create.
Williams, however, made a competitive return in June after nearly a four-year absence. She competed in doubles on grass and also accepted a singles wildcard at Wimbledon, where she suffered a three-set defeat in the opening round.
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion sustained an injury during the match, forcing her to withdraw from the highly anticipated doubles reunion with Venus, who has been competing sparingly on tour in recent years. The Williams sisters eventually reunited at the Cincinnati Open last week, where they narrowly lost their opening match.
When quizzed whether he could see himself making an official appearance like the Williams sisters, Roger Federer said, “No, no, no, no, no, not at all. Thanks for asking. I wasn’t sure if the question was going to get asked, but I’m happy you did so I can clarify in case anybody thought so. No, no, no, not at all. And I think you anyway have to enter the doping pool; like, God, there are way too many obstacles.”
“And I’m too busy. I’m barely finding time to play any exhos. So imagine a Tour and the body is done. But I’m very happy how I’m feeling. So, all good and just a fan now. Just enjoying watching,” he continued.
Although the 20-time Grand Slam champion bid farewell to professional tennis in 2022, his final official singles match came at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, where he was defeated by Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinals. Federer, however, insisted that he has not missed the competition in the years since.
“You’re happy not to put the body through the grind. I don’t know how to explain, or maybe it explains it: just not wanting to be out there and defending and scrapping, and so the preparation has just been hitting more tennis balls again.”
“Very quickly when you’re retired, you go through days and weeks and months all of a sudden where you’re hitting very little. So, you have to make it a priority. And my kids are getting older, so I get a chance to play more with them. And depending on where we are.”
Ahead of Tuesday’s exhibition, Federer has been stepping up his preparations in the gym. He also shared the court with Lorenzo Musetti for a training session on Monday. “I’ve been in the gym a lot. I love working out with my wife and with my friends whenever we hang out. So I’ve been doing a lot of that. It’s not like playing tennis, and when you haven’t played, you get an unbelievable amount of muscle pain. So, I feel my body’s ready for tomorrow, but again, we’re not playing best of five.”
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A five-time US Open champion, Roger Federer remains the last man to successfully defend his title in New York, winning the tournament in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. The 45-year-old is set to return to the courts at Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2019, when he made his most recent appearance at the tournament.
The exhibition event will feature Federer in a one-set shootout against his former rival and former World No. 1 Andy Roddick. He will then team up with John McEnroe for a doubles showdown against Roddick and Andre Agassi. Federer is also set to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, on August 29.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
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