It was the 2019 US Open. Little did anyone know that it would be the final US Open tournament of Roger Federer. The Swiss maestro went on to reach the quarterfinals there, losing against Grigor Dimitrov in a thrilling encounter. Subsequently, he suffered from knee injuries that kept him out for some time. While he did make a comeback months later, Federer never went on to participate at the US Open again, as his tally ended with five US Open titles. Although Federer never returned as a player after 2019 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, did he visit the stadium as a spectator?

The answer is no. Earlier today, the 20-time Grand Slam champion confirmed his plans to be in attendance at the Arthur Ashe Stadium to catch the thrilling action. As he returns to the iconic stadium this year, it will be the first time since 2019 that the Swiss maestro will set his foot there. Although he visited quite a few tournaments after his retirement, Federer was yet to catch the action live from the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

With his return, Federer joins Serena Williams, who also made her first visit to the tournament last week after calling time on her illustrious tennis career in 2022. The US Open is one of Federer’s favorite tournaments, as he revealed, “I haven’t been back at the Open since I retired, so it’s going to be also, I am sure, nice to be in Ashe, you know, watching tennis from the sidelines this time.”

Little had Federer imagined that his shocking loss at the 2019 US Open would be his final match at the tournament. The Swiss maestro regretted the missed opportunity and felt very low. However, he is back at Flushing Meadows now and will probably be watching the match between Frances Tiafoe and Grigor Dimitrov.

Dejection set to turn into joy for Roger Federer

Later today, Grigor Dimitrov will face Frances Tiafoe in the last-eight clash at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Dimitrov was the player who inflicted the last defeat on Federer at the US Open. However, Federer will be watching him play at the Arthur Ashe Stadium later in the day.

Despite having returned to Flushing Meadows as a spectator now, the dark memories from the past would still reverberate in the mind of Federer. After his emotional defeat back in 2019, the Swiss said, “Just low. Just disappointed it’s over because I did feel like I was actually playing really well after a couple of rocky starts. It’s just a missed opportunity to some extent that you’re in the lead, you can get through, you have two days off after. It was looking good. But got to take the losses. They’re part of the game. Looking forward to family time and all that stuff, so … Life’s alright.”

In what has already been a starry affair at the US Open this year, Federer’s presence will further enhance the buzz around the tournament. Are you excited to see Federer at the US Open, five years after playing his last match here? Let us know your views in the comments below.