More than three years after he retired from professional tennis, Roger Federer will officially get back on a match court next month at the Australian Open. The Swiss star has not been to Melbourne Park since 2020, when he was still ranked No. 3 in the world and reached the semi-finals. It was Federer’s last tournament before he underwent multiple knee surgeries and shut down his season.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion made a brief comeback in 2021 but ultimately ended his career at the 2022 Laver Cup. And he’ll now return to the court – and to the Australian Open – ahead of next month’s tournament.
Federer will take part in the inaugural Australian Open Opening Ceremony on Saturday, January 17 – one day before main draw action gets underway. The Opening Ceremony “provides an opportunity to celebrate the great champions who have shaped tennis, the passionate fan bases they’ve inspired, and the incredible legacies they continue to build.”
It will be Federer’s first appearance Down Under since hanging up his racket, giving the six-time Australian Open champion an opportunity to say farewell to his Aussie fans. And the 44-year-old will get back on the court for the ‘Battle of the World No. 1s’.
Federer will join Andre Agassi, Patrick Rafter, and Lleyton Hewitt for an exciting exhibition match. Ahead of his return, the former world No. 1 said: “It feels like a lifetime ago that I coined the phrase the ‘Happy Slam’ for the Australian Open, and it still makes me smile when I think about all the moments I’ve had here.
“I’ve experienced so many emotions on Rod Laver Arena … the joy of lifting ‘Norman’ six times, the honour of playing in front of Rod Laver himself, the challenge of competing against my biggest rivals, and always the overwhelming love and support of the Australian fans.
“Coming back to win the AO in 2017 is one of my most treasured Grand Slam memories and backing it up to win in 2018 was another dream come true in Melbourne. I can’t wait to come down under again to the AO and create more fantastic moments with all the Aussie fans.”
Since retiring, Federer has made select few appearances at Wimbledon, the Laver Cup, Halle and the Shanghai Masters. As an ambassador for the Shanghai Masters, the Swiss star has played a couple of celebrity exhibition matches. However, these have just been quick tiebreakers.
Following the announcement of Federer’s return at the new Opening Ceremony, Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said: “I’m thrilled we’re introducing this very special AO Opening Ceremony.
“While the AO has a reputation for innovation and is renowned for pushing the boundaries, we are also the custodians of a proud 120-year history filled with some of the sport’s greatest champions.
“This inaugural Opening Ceremony will mark the start of a new tennis season in spectacular fashion. I can’t wait to see Roger back on Rod Laver Arena, along with other greats of the game Andre, Pat and Lleyton. And I know fans across Australia will be just as excited to share this moment with him.”