MELBOURNE – Roger Federer’s visit to Australia confirmed that the Swiss remains the figure who sparks the greatest passion in tennis. And despite having been retired for 837 days, he showed on court that plenty of quality is still there. Casper Ruud saw it up close — and felt it.
“He looks as smooth as ever, he’s an icon both on and off the court,” the Norwegian told a small group of media, including CLAY.
Federer challenged the world No. 13 to a tie-break during a practice session at Rod Laver Arena. The Swiss won it 7–2.
“We took it pretty easy. I think we both could have played with more intensity, but it was fun for the crowd to see a few points. And seeing Roger again was really enjoyable, both for me and for the thousands of fans who were there,” Ruud told CLAY.
“It’s an honour to share the court with him. I was lucky enough to play him once at Roland Garros in 2019, and I hadn’t hit with him since then. Almost seven years have passed,” he recalled.
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The excitement Federer generated during Friday’s practice session multiplied on Saturday night, when the owner of 103 ATP titles returned to the Australian Open’s main court for the tournament’s opening ceremony.
There, he played an exhibition alongside three other legends of the sport: Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt and Pat Rafter. All Grand Slam champions. All former world No. 1s. Ash Barty made a surprise appearance to replace the North American in the third set.
The match, full of humour and spectacle, was the perfect finale to the six-time champion’s return to Melbourne after five years. It marked the first time Federer has played an exhibition match at one of the four Grand Slams since retiring. In 2025, he attended Wimbledon as a guest in the Royal Box and Roland Garros as part of the tribute to Rafael Nadal.
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