Tennis great Roger Federer graced the Rod Laver Arena once again for a practice match against Casper Ruud ahead of the Australia Open 2026. The match was Federer's return to the venue after 6 years. The Swiss legend marked it in grand style, clinching a tie-break victory over the World No.12.

Serena Williams can count a fellow tennis legend among those who thinks it would be "incredible" if she returned to the court.

It underlines how dominant Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are in men’s tennis that the great Roger Federer felt compelled to namecheck Brazil’s João Fonseca to break the duopoly.Speaking days before

Former American tennis player John McEnroe has backed Novak Djokovic after Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal opposed the PTPA, an organisation the Serbian legend co-founded in 2021.

On Thursday, cameras captured Smith sharing a photo with the 20-time grand slam champion at Rod Laver Arena. Federer made his first appearance at the Australian Open since retiring and was backstage during Novak Djokovic and Frances Tiafoe's exhibition match.

Novak Djokovic begins his quest for a record 25th Grand Slam title at the 2026 Australian Open against Pedro Martinez, with potential blockbuster clashes against Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz standing between him and an 11th Melbourne crown amid ongoing fitness concerns.