India, Aug. 26 -- New York and the US Open finally got the chance on Wednesday to give Roger Federer the farewell he had long been denied. Seven years after his last appearance at the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium, where he had suffered a quarter-final loss to Grigor Dimitrov in 2019, the Swiss legend returned to the scene of five of his greatest triumphs.

But there are two contrasting New York moments that remain deeply embedded in Federer's memories, one that represents the absolute peak of his powers, and another that still carries a hint of regret.

Federer returned to the US Open for the first time since 2019 to feature in two exhibition events during Fan Week. The first was a one-set singles match against longtime rival Andy Roddick, ...