Federer to Take Rod Laver arena for maiden Australian Open opening ceremony
Roger Federer returns to Melbourne for AO opening night exhibition alongside Andre Agassi and Lleyton Hewitt. He hasn’t played in Melbourne since 2020.
Roger Federer, Melbourne | © Antoine Couvercelle / PsNewz
The Australian Open is set to launch the 2026 tennis season with a groundbreaking tradition, announcing its first-ever opening ceremony to take place on Saturday, January 17, the night immediately preceding the main draw of the tournament.
Tournament organisers announced on Thursday that the special occasion, designed to celebrate the sport’s greatest champions and the legacies they forged in Melbourne, will be headlined by six-time AO champion Roger Federer. The event offers the Swiss Maestro his final opportunity to formally bid farewell to his legion of Australian fans on Rod Laver Arena.
Federer and “beloved icons”
Federer, who retired in 2022, will feature in a unique exhibition titled the ‘Battle of the World No.1s.’ The 20-time Grand Slam winner will team up with fellow four-time Australian Open champion, American Andre Agassi, to face a duo of beloved Australian icons, former world number one Lleyton Hewitt and two-time US Open champion Patrick Rafter.
The bond between Federer and the Australian Open remains a cornerstone of his career. His six titles (2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2017, 2018) solidified his status at the tournament he affectionately dubbed the ‘Happy Slam’ a term that has become synonymous with the event.
“It feels like a lifetime ago that I coined the phrase the ‘Happy Slam’ for the Australian Open, and it still makes me smile when I think about all the moments I’ve had here,” Federer said.
6-time champion
His latter two titles in 2017 and 2018 are highly regarded chapters in his career narrative, representing a historic late-career surge. The 2017 victory, a five-set comeback against Rafael Nadal, followed a significant injury layoff. He successfully defended the title the following year, which ultimately secured his 20th and final Grand Slam trophy.
Federer’s last competitive match in Melbourne was during the 2020 Australian Open, where he reached the semi-finals. He was defeated by the eventual champion, Novak Djokovic, following an arduous run that included two notable five-set encounters against John Millman and Tennys Sandgren.
Following the pandemic and subsequent knee surgeries, the Swiss star never returned to the competitive main draw, making his appearance at the inaugural Opening Ceremony a highly anticipated and emotional event for fans.
Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley stated the ceremony will mark a new era for the event while honouring its past. “This inaugural Opening Ceremony will mark the start of a new tennis season in spectacular fashion,” Tiley said. “I can’t wait to see Roger back on Rod Laver Arena, along with other greats of the game Andre, Pat and Lleyton.”
