Roger Federer ready to take center stage in US Open exhibition

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Twenty-time Grand Slam champion and living tennis legend Roger Federer is excited to return to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in New York City for a highly anticipated US Open exhibition.

The event, “Roger Federer: An Icon Returns to New York,” dedicated to the Swiss Maestro himself, will begin today at the iconic USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

It has been five months since his last appearance at the Australian Open’s inaugural ceremony, and tennis fans can’t wait to witness Federer weave his magic and grace once again.

In a full-length video uploaded by the US Open’s official YouTube channel, Federer performed tennis drills and even engaged in a mini singles match with his hitting partner.

The shots were still there.

The signature booming forehand, the unpredictable serves, the flawless net approach, and the lethal volleys.

At the end of the video, Federer spent some time with his fans, signing autographs while entertaining selfie requests in the packed training arena.

The US Open exhibition will feature a doubles match alongside fellow legends Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi, and John McEnroe.

“It’s been five years,” Federer said during his official US Open press conference.

“I don’t know how it’s going to go tomorrow; there’s a lot of uncertainty, but a lot of happiness that I can return to Arthur Ashe. It’s nice to connect with the tennis community again, and that’s why I try to go to 4 or 5 events in a season.”

Since turning professional in 1998, Federer has won five of his Grand Slam titles at the US Open and remains the only male player in the Open era to win five consecutive trophies in New York.

Federer’s historic campaign started in 2004, when he defeated Lleyton Hewitt, followed by four more Grand Slam final wins against Agassi, Roddick, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray.

The Swiss ace had the chance to extend his streak the following year, but Juan Martin del Potro played spoiler, outlasting Federer in five grueling sets, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4, 6-7, 2-6, in nearly five hours of intense tennis action.

Before accepting the US Open event, Federer had made only limited exhibition appearances and was still busy promoting his On Cloud brand through promotional visits.

“It’s nice to look back one more time,” Federer added.

“Life goes quickly, especially when you have four children. You stop remembering what you did and what you’ve been through, so it’s like going into a time machine and everything slows down for a second.”