Federer Eager for Arthur Ashe Stadium Return for Exhibition Match

Tennis legend Roger Federer expressed his anticipation for a special return to Arthur Ashe Stadium this week, participating in an exhibition match during the US Open's "fan week." This marks his first appearance at the iconic venue since his final US Open in 2019.

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It really gives me a true opportunity to say thank you.

The exhibition, scheduled for Tuesday night, will see Federer team up with former rivals Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi, alongside tennis giant John McEnroe. This gathering of players, who collectively hold a dozen US Open men's singles titles, offers Federer a "true opportunity to say thank you" to the New York fans who were unable to give him a full send-off in 2019.

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The kids are getting older. So they can also maybe enjoy a little bit seeing, their dad play.

Federer's participation comes ahead of his induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame later this week in Newport. He explained that while he continued playing after his 2019 US Open quarterfinal loss, injuries prevented him from competing in the tournament in 2020 or 2021. His last professional match was at the Laver Cup in September 2022.

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We're not playing best of five. I hope it's going to be a lot of fun for us and the same for the fans to just see us back out playing.

Despite playing some exhibition matches since retiring, Federer felt the timing was right for a New York appearance this year. He also noted that his children, now aged 12 and 17, are old enough to appreciate seeing him play. However, Federer firmly shut down any speculation about a potential comeback, stating "no" multiple times and citing too many obstacles and a busy schedule as reasons for remaining retired.

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