Roger Federer is nervous about what his tennis will look like when he steps back onto the court.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion will return to Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday night for the first time since 2019, five years after his last competitive singles appearance. Even Federer, whose effortless style helped redefine tennis at the height of his dominance, admits he does not know what to expect.
“I haven’t played a singles set in, I don’t know, (Hubert) Hurkacz at Wimbledon maybe, so it’s been five years,” Federer said Monday, referring to his 2021 Wimbledon quarterfinal loss, the final Grand Slam match of his career. “I don’t know how it’s going to go tomorrow. So there is a lot of uncertainty, but a lot of happiness that I can return to Arthur Ashe, a place where I have had so many beautiful moments.”
This comeback is modest by competitive standards. Federer will play one singles set against Andy Roddick and one doubles set alongside John McEnroe against Roddick and Andre Agassi in an exhibition.
He should be more than capable of handling that challenge.
