By Amy Tennery
NEW YORK, Aug 24 (Reuters) – Roger Federer will make a long-awaited curtain call for his adoring fans at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday as the man who defined a generation of tennis plays in an exhibition event ahead of the U.S. Open singles main draw.
His final U.S. Open match in 2019 lacked the romantic sendoff that fans have come to expect for former champions, as the Swiss exited in the quarter-finals with many expecting him to return to play at the event again.
But he was absent from the U.S Open in 2020 and played in his final slam at Wimbledon in 2021, leaving the New York tournament he once dominated without a proper farewell.
“It really gives me a true opportunity to say thank you, goodbye, which is I think important for some,” said Federer, whose five consecutive wins are unmatched by any man in the Open Era. “For me it is, and it’s a nice thing to do.”
Tuesday’s exhibition, “US Open: Roger Federer – An Icon Returns to NY,” was fetching upwards of $2,000 on Ticketmaster’s resale platform on Monday, and the Swiss Maestro said he only hoped he could hit the right notes after a long layoff.
“It’s nerve-wracking, to be honest. I haven’t played a single set in – I don’t know – maybe five years. Don’t know how it’s going to go tomorrow,” he told reporters. “There’s a lot of uncertainty, but a lot of happiness that I can return.”
Federer will play alongside fellow retired greats Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi and John McEnroe at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where newly un-retired American Serena Williams is due to play mixed doubles with Carlos Alcaraz earlier in the day.
The 44-year-old Williams’ return to New York had Flushing Meadows buzzing on Monday, as fans had already begun to flood the plaza to catch some of the singles qualifying tournament.
Asked if he would ever consider accepting a wild card to the singles competition, Federer, who is only one year Williams’ senior, was emphatic: “No, no, no, no, no, no.”
“I’ve got just way too many obstacles and I’m too busy – I’m barely finding time to play any exos,” said Federer, who is due to be inducted in the Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday. “The body is done.”
The U.S. Open men’s and women’s singles main draw begins on Sunday.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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