If someone had asked tennis fans to build their dream doubles lineup, Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, John McEnroe and Andre Agassi would probably have made the shortlist. The four former World No. 1s came together for a doubles match, which was under the headline program of “Roger Federer: An Icon Returns to New York”, which celebrated the on-court return of the Swiss maestro in New York, having last played in 2019.
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At 67, McEnroe was the oldest of the four on the court, but that did not stop the American from competing. Even though it was all fun on court between the four, McEnroe cheekily let everyone know he meant business, as he launched a 101 mph second serve in the first game of the match, which, comically enough, he missed, after which he playfully tossed his racket, staying on-brand with his on-court demeanor from his playing days. Federer was not one to miss out on the fun, as he too tossed his racket, joining in on the on-court theatrics.
It was not only his serve, but the 67-year-old was also still able to return serves of over 100 mph from the likes of Roddick and Agassi, while being at his usual best with his volleys at the net. McEnroe did not hide the fact that partnering with Federer was almost comparable to him in a Slam final.
“We only hit once and then we played one set in Asia once in a doubles exhibition. So this is amazing. This is my US Open final right now,” said John McEnroe during one of the changeover interviews. The American played with intensity, while Federer was his usual serene best, still facing big servers like Roddick and Agassi and thrilling the crowd with his creative shotmaking.
The duo had broken the opponent’s serve in their first return game and, since then, had held their serve until 5-3. However, with the opportunity to serve out the set and finish the match, McEnroe was broken, with the score being 5-4. With both teams holding the next two service games, the Swiss-American duo broke to win the set 7-5.
For Federer, it was a double delight on his return to Arthur Ashe, as the Swiss won both his singles and doubles matches.
Roger Federer Thrills the Arthur Ashe Crowd on His US Open Return
Playing in the night session on Arthur Ashe was a signature time slot for Roger Federer in his peak, and the Swiss legend was at it again on his comeback. Making his on-court comeback in New York since 2019, Federer gave his fans double fun, playing both singles and doubles.
Federer squared up against Andy Roddick in a one-set singles exhibition, with the Swiss not having played much singles since his retirement in 2022. However, that made little difference to the five-time US Open champion who, as usual, was at his best, winning the sole set 6-3 against his rival from playing days.
Federer doubles up with McEnroe, getting the second victory of the night, after which the Swiss was visibly emotional.
“Maybe down the road someday I’ll get a chance again to come to this beautiful court & play in front of you guys. It was an honor,” said Federer in his on-court interview. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I mean it.”
Suffering from a knee injury, Federer had to bring his career to an abrupt end in 2022, which meant the Swiss did not get the opportunity to play at the Slams for one last time, with the crowd support behind him. That was the sole theme of the US Open exhibition, with the Australian Open doing something similar earlier this year. On that occasion, Federer was joined by Agassi, and the likes of Lleyton Hewitt, Pat Rafter, and Ash Barty.
Federer was still a fan favorite, which was evident by the almost sellout crowd at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, which willed on the Swiss to victory, even if it was an exhibition.
