Roger Federer admits nerves before US Open return

Roger Federer will return to the US Open court for the first time in five years, but the 20-time Grand Slam champion says the occasion is making him nervous. His appearance will be an exhibition rather than a tournament match, followed the next day by his induction into the Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport.

Federer is due to play alongside Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi and John McEnroe on Tuesday. He has not played a set since facing Hubert Hurkacz at Wimbledon, leaving him unsure how his game will respond in front of the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd. The Swiss former world No. 1 nevertheless welcomed the chance to reconnect with tennis and return to a court tied to some of his biggest memories.

Among those memories is his 2005 US Open final against Agassi, which Federer identified as his favourite match at the tournament. He had already won the previous year’s meeting with Agassi after a five-set contest played over two days in extreme wind, and the 2005 final carried added significance because Federer was defending his title. Although Agassi won their first three encounters, Federer then took the next eight.

Federer also reflected on the generation he missed, including Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, whom he never faced in competition. He said knee problems limited those opportunities, while Novak Djokovic remains a player he would have welcomed meeting again. Djokovic is seeking a fifth US Open title, which would match Federer’s total at the tournament.