Former world No. 1 tennis player Roger Federer will shoot a legendary comeback to the court in October this year to appear at the Roger & Friends Celebrity Doubles Match at the Shanghai Masters 1000 Tournament. The show will be staged on the 10th of October 2025, right after the final official match of the day in a landmark stadium (Qizhong) in Shanghai.
The 41 year old Federer who has officially retired in 2022 spoke out in a video by the organizers of the tournament: Shanghai has always been special to me, with wonderful fans, fantastic memories, and the affection of the game. Please come to see me there October 10.
Why is Shanghai special to Roger?
Federer will have company in the exhibition game in the form of high profile celebrities, bringing the glitz and glamour and cross cultural flavour. He will have Donnie Yen and Wu Lei as his partners; both being actors with Zheng Jie playing previously in the Chinese Grand Slam as a doubles champion, bringing local flavour and emotional fruits to the game.
Shanghai is also a very special place in relation to Federer. In more than eight visits to the Masters, he has a 23-9 score and won the 2014 and 2017 events, thus becoming incredibly fond of fans and sponsors of the Chinese tennis community. In 2023, the tournament also bestowed on Federer its Icon Athlete Award, in support of his lasting influence on the event and the sport.
Even though it will not be a ranked match or a competition, it is sure to be an emotional one- an occasion to see an elegant legend back on the stage, providing class, entertainment, and reminisces.
Limited exhibition
This is an exhibition that is special to Federer due to the fact that his appearances in exhibitions since his retirement are limited. His last appearance in the eye of the fans was on the high profile occasions in Roland Garros tribute to Rafael Nadal and in the Royal Box in Wimbledon. It is a good opportunity to meet him swing a racquet again in a meaningful environment in this Shanghai showcase, which is not very common.
Overall, this exhibition match is not about a tennis match, it is an emotional tribute to the career that broke the tradition of sports, it was fame, cultural relevance, and long-term reward to the fans across the world.
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