Federer Plays US Open Exhibition Tuesday

Roger Federer plays a US Open exhibition on Tuesday at Arthur Ashe Stadium, his first time on that court as a player since Grigor Dimitrov beat him in 2019. Sky Sports posted the Monday-night quotes from Flushing. The 45-year-old Swiss is the headliner of Roger Federer: An Icon Returns to New York. He will play one set of singles against Andy Roddick, then team with John McEnroe against Roddick and Andre Agassi in doubles. He is not coming back to the tour.

"No, not at all," Federer said when asked if he would follow Serena Williams, 44, out of retirement for mixed doubles. Sky Sports had the line. "Thanks for asking. I wasn't sure if the question was going to get asked, but I'm happy you did so I can clarify in case anybody thought." Williams and Carlos Alcaraz open mixed later Tuesday against Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool. Federer's night is a goodbye he never got in New York.

Federer on Ashe: nervous, five years since a singles set

"It's nerve-wracking. I haven't played a singles set in, I don't know, since [Hubert] Hurkacz at Wimbledon in 2021 maybe, so it's been five years," Federer said Monday, per Sky Sports. That Hurkacz match was the last Grand Slam of his career. A knee injury kept him out of the 2020 US Open. He never returned to the grounds as a player before retiring in September 2022. Five straight US Open titles, 2004 through 2008, still sit on the wall.

"I don't know how it's going to go tomorrow. 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 memories." He also called it a chance "to say thank you and goodbye, which I think is important for some." Yahoo Sports had carried his earlier announcement with Roddick, Agassi, and McEnroe attached. Sky Sports listed the format on Monday: one singles set, then the legends doubles.

How to watch, and what it is not

Sky Sports Main Event will show it from 1 a.m. BST Wednesday, which is 8 p.m. ET Tuesday in New York. That is Fan Week, the same window as mixed doubles on Ashe and Armstrong. It is not a comeback. It is not a wild card. It is not mixed. Federer drew a hard line when Serena's name came up. Williams is in the 16-team mixed field. Federer is on Ashe with three other retired names and a microphone.

Roddick was the rival across a decade of finals. Agassi and McEnroe are the New York furniture. The five-time champion never got a farewell here the way he got one at the Laver Cup. Tuesday is that night, compressed into a set and a doubles rubber. Jannik Sinner is already out of singles. The biggest name on the grounds this week might be a 45-year-old who will not play a point that counts.

Roger Federer US Open exhibition FAQ

When does Roger Federer play at the 2026 US Open? Tuesday, Aug. 25, at Arthur Ashe Stadium, per Sky Sports. The exhibition is titled Roger Federer: An Icon Returns to New York. UK television is 1 a.m. BST Wednesday, 8 p.m. ET Tuesday.

Who does Federer play? One set of singles against Andy Roddick, then doubles with John McEnroe against Roddick and Andre Agassi, Sky Sports listed. Yahoo Sports had the same four names when the event was announced.

Is Roger Federer coming out of retirement? No. He told Sky Sports he had no interest in a professional comeback, even after Serena Williams entered mixed doubles at 44. He last played a Grand Slam match against Hurkacz at Wimbledon in 2021.