US Open star questions 'what's up with this dude?' as Roger Federer appears at his match
Roger Federer made a surprise appearance in the crowd of a US Open quarter-final, raising questions from one of the players on the court.
Roger Federer may have been retired for over two years now. But the tennis legend still turns heads everywhere he goes - even with his former colleagues at the US Open.
The 43-year-old made a surprise appearance on Tuesday at the quarter-final match between Frances Tiafoe and Grigor Dimitrov.
The suave Swiss looked the part, dressed in a navy blue ensemble with a blazer covering a similar coloured crew-neck T-shirt underneath and matching trousers.
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Welcome back, legend!
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 4, 2024
Great to have you in Arthur Ashe Stadium, @rogerfederer! pic.twitter.com/209TJGrf0l
It was the first time he had returned to Flushing Meadows since 2019, after injuries robbed him of the chance to participate in the Grand Slam event in New York.
But returning as a supporter, Federer was picked out of the crowd by the announcer over the tannoy system and he graciously waved to the cheering fans before returning to his seat.
And Tiafoe, speaking about Federer's presence in the stands after beating the Dimitrov in four sets, could not hide his admiration for the swanky style of the 20-time Grand Slam champion.
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"The way he looked in the suites was the same way he looked when he was playing," Tiafoe said on court after his match.
"No sweat. Tee's ironed perfect. What's up with this dude, man? Hair perfect. What a guy. What a legend."
The 20th seed advanced to the final four in New York after his quarter-final match against Dimitrov ended abruptly due to injury. The match saw Tiafoe leading with a scoreline of 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3, 4-1 as the clock neared midnight when Dimitrov was forced to retire.
He will be hoping to become the first American man to reach the US Open final since Andy Roddick in 2006 when he comes up against his compatriot Taylor Fritz on Thursday.
Fritz upset the No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3) to finally make a Major semi-final at the fifth time of asking after four previous defeats.
The 26-year-old, who also reached the semi-final in 2022, said he was looking forward to battling with his countryman for a place in Sunday's final.
"It's the biggest match of me and Taylor's life. We've known each other for so long. I've been playing against him since (14-and-under tournaments)," Tiafoe said. "So to be able to play him here... is going to be awesome. I know we're two Americans but I hope you're all with me come Friday."
