For those who followed Roger Federer for so many years, the 2019 US Open never felt like a farewell. His quarterfinal defeat ended that campaign, but it did not feel like a full stop. Everyone expected him to return. His body wrote a different ending.
Federer did not play the tournament in 2020. His final Grand Slam singles match came in the 2021 Wimbledon quarterfinals against Hubert Hurkacz. His official retirement followed at the 2022 Laver Cup, in doubles alongside Rafael Nadal. New York was left outside that sequence of goodbyes.
That gap began to close on Monday, August 24, 2026. Federer returned to Flushing Meadows, practiced with Lorenzo Musetti and spoke to the press. The following night, he beat Andy Roddick 6–3 in a singles set and joined John McEnroe to defeat Roddick and Andre Agassi 7–5. The headband, the service motion and the rallies inside Arthur Ashe instantly revived a familiar memory: for years, that image had been a natural part of late summer in New York.
There is a special reason the reunion carried so much weight. Federer won the US Open five years in a row: he beat Lleyton Hewitt in the 2004 final, Andre Agassi in 2005, Andy Roddick in 2006, Novak Djokovic in 2007 and Andy Murray in 2008. The streak remains unique in tournament history across both the men’s and women’s events.
“Roger Federer: An Icon Returns to New York” brought together two former final opponents, an emblem of New York tennis and the champion who once made the stadium feel like an extension of his game. The score mattered less than the opportunity to complete a farewell that the calendar and injuries had left unfinished.
There was emotion, but no pretense: this was not a return to the tour. Federer admitted feeling nervous about playing after so many years without a competitive set and dismissed the idea of accepting a singles wild card. At 45, he knows the competitive career is over. That is precisely why the night could unfold without the anxiety of a new beginning.
What had been missing was the chance to say thank you. Federer left the 2019 US Open without knowing it would be his last official appearance. This time he looked toward the stands, received the crowd’s affection and said goodbye to a place that helped define his career.
The moment also served as a bridge to another honor. After the exhibition, Federer heads to Newport and will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday. Within a few days, he revisits the stage of five titles and receives the institutional recognition reserved for the sport’s greatest names.
Farewells rarely arrive at the perfect moment. Sometimes they come years later, when the result has lost its importance and memory fills the court. For Federer and New York, the night of August 25 did not change the end of his career. It finally gave him one last scene inside Arthur Ashe.
Sources consulted: US Open, ATP Tour and Reuters, via CNN Brasil. Reporting updated August 26, 2026.