Roger Federer, aged 45, returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York on August 25, 2026, for an exhibition tennis event titled "An Icon Returns to New York." He played a singles set against Andy Roddick, followed by a doubles match partnering John McEnroe against Roddick and Andre Agassi [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
Federer has won 20 Grand Slam singles titles, including a record five consecutive US Open men's singles championships from 2004 to 2008. He officially retired from professional tennis in September 2022 after the Laver Cup due to injuries, having missed the 2020 and 2021 US Opens with knee issues [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
He denied any plans to return to professional competition, repeatedly answering "no" when asked about a potential comeback or wildcard entry. Federer told reporters, "No, no, no, there is absolutely no such plan. I'm grateful for the question to clarify, so everyone won't have misunderstandings" [1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9].
Federer said the exhibition gave him "a great opportunity to express my gratitude" to fans and to say goodbye in person, since he never had a farewell match at the US Open upon retirement. He added, "I haven't played singles since 2021 at Wimbledon, a full five years without singles matches. I didn't know how I'd perform but coming back here filled with beautiful memories made me very happy" [1, 2, 5, 6, 7].
Federer nostalgically recalled losing his first Arthur Ashe center court match in 2001 to Andre Agassi in straight sets, saying Agassi "beat me 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. I had no chance. I thought, 'Okay, not so easy, Roger.' But I will always remember this court". He later defeated Agassi in 2005 to begin his US Open five-year championship run [3, 10, 11, 8].
The event attracted a large crowd, many wearing Federer's "RF" logo gear, described as full and festive. Federer showcased his signature single-handed backhand and elegant playing style [3, 12, 8]. Andy Roddick said, "We played many times, and Roger won many times, but we've always maintained a friendship that I hope lasts forever. When Roger invited me, I just had to show up" [3].
Federer praised younger players like Carlos Alcaraz and expressed hope that the single-handed backhand technique would continue despite the prevalence of two-handed backhands [9].
Federer has two sets of twins aged 12 and 17 who attended the event to watch him play live [1]. He described himself now as "just a regular fan, enjoying the pure joy of watching tennis" [1].
After the exhibition in New York, Federer is scheduled to attend the International Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Newport, Rhode Island, on August 29, 2026 [1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8].
