If someone had asked tennis fans to build their dream doubles lineup, Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, John McEnroe and Andre Agassi would probably have made the shortlist. The four former World No. 1s came together for a doubles match, which was under the headline program of “Roger Federer: An Icon Returns to New York”, which celebrated the on-court return of the Swiss maestro in New York, having last played in 2019.

At 67, McEnroe was the oldest of the four on the court, but that did not stop the American from competing. The four legends were clearly out there to have fun, but John McEnroe still had to remind everyone that the competitive fire never really left. In the opening game, he fired a 101 mph second serve, only to miss it, before cheekily tossing his racket in a moment that felt straight out of his playing days. Federer was not one to miss out on the fun, as he too tossed his racket, joining in on the on-court theatrics.

And McEnroe’s serve wasn’t the only reminder that the 67-year-old still had plenty left in the tank. He was returning 100+ mph serves from Roddick and Agassi and looking right at home with his trademark volleys at the net. McEnroe also made no secret of how much the occasion meant to him, admitting that teaming up with Federer felt almost like playing another Grand Slam final.

“We only hit once and then we played one set in Asia once in a doubles exhibition.  So this is amazing. This is my US Open final right now,” said John McEnroe during one of the changeover interviews. The American played with intensity, while Federer was his usual serene best, still facing big servers like Roddick and Agassi with his creative shotmaking.

The duo had broken the opponent’s serve in their first return game and, since then, had held their serve until 5-3. However, with the opportunity to serve out the set and finish the match, McEnroe was broken, with the score being 5-4. With both teams holding the next two service games, the Swiss-American duo broke to win the set 7-5.

For Federer, it was a double delight on his return to Arthur Ashe, as the Swiss won both his singles and doubles matches.

Roger Federer Thrills the Arthur Ashe Crowd on His US Open Return

Arthur Ashe’s night session was once Roger Federer’s favorite stage, and the Swiss legend returned to that familiar spotlight in New York. Making his first on-court appearance at the US Open since 2019, Federer gave fans a double dose of nostalgia, taking part in both singles and doubles.

Federer squared up against Andy Roddick in a one-set singles exhibition, despite not having played singles since his retirement in 2022. However, that made little difference to the five-time US Open champion, who, as usual, was at his best, winning the sole set 6-3 against his rival.

Federer then paired up with McEnroe for doubles and clinched the second victory of the night. Following the match, the Swiss was visibly emotional.

“Maybe down the road someday I’ll get a chance again to come to this beautiful court & play in front of you guys. It was an honor,” said Federer in his on-court interview. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I mean it.”

Suffering from a knee injury, Federer had to bring his career to an abrupt end in 2022, which meant the Swiss did not get the opportunity to play at the Slams for one last time, with the crowd support behind him. That was the sole theme of the US Open exhibition, with the Australian Open doing something similar earlier this year. On that occasion, Federer was joined by Agassi, and the likes of Lleyton Hewitt, Pat Rafter, and Ash Barty.

Federer was still a fan favorite, which was evident by the almost sellout crowd at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, which willed on the Swiss to victory, even if it was an exhibition.