BREAKING: Roger Federer reduces a child to tears at US Open with actions on return to court
Tennis legend Roger Federer made a child cry in his return to the US Open on Monday. The Swiss star is back at Flushing Meadows this week as he prepares for a long-anticipated court comeback at the final Grand Slam of 2026.
Fans from all over the world have travelled to New York in anticipation of this year’s US Open. And many of those will be eager to see Federer back in action as he and John McEnroe team up to face Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi in short-format exhibition late on Tuesday night. It wasn’t all smiles, however, when the 20-time Grand Slam-winner rocked up at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre on Monday. At least not for one young fan simply overawed by being in close proximity to such an esteemed member of tennis royalty.
Then again, even some adult fans may crumble if they were gifted a match ball by the five-time US Open champion. Federer was training with Italian contender Lorenzo Musetti when he made the kind gesture to the young attendee.
It was as though Federer never left as he effortlessly flashed balls across the court with the current world No. 14. And he still displayed that trademark care for the fans as he nonchalantly flipped a stray ball to the kid in question.
Cameras panned to the recipient and showed him instantly breaking into a flood of tears as the act caught him off guard. Thankfully, a woman who appeared to be his mother was on standby to console him.
Federer’s exhibition outing alongside McEnroe will take place at Arthur Ashe Stadium at 1am UK time on Wednesday morning. The match will be contested over just one set and takes place after he faces Roddick in an exhibition singles match.
I haven’t played a singles set in, I don’t know, [Hubert] Hurkacz at Wimbledon [in 2021], maybe, so it’s been five years,” said Federer on Monday. “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 year’s US Open is also expected to be the staging ground for Carlos Alcaraz’s Grand Slam comeback. The Spaniard is set to team up with Serena Williams in the mixed doubles event on Tuesday having missed both Wimbledon and the French Open earlier this year
