India, Aug. 26 -- In 2019, when Roger Federer walked out of Arthur Ashe Stadium after a quarter-final loss to Grigor Dimitrov, it felt like a goodbye to the New York crowd until the following year. Even at 38, despite growing physical limitations, Federer had managed his body well enough to compete through the gruelling ATP Tour, reaching the semi-finals of the French Open before making one last show in the Wimbledon final.

But that turned out to be the last time Federer completed a full season on tour.

Injuries in 2020 and 2021 limited him to just a handful of appearances, and the US Open missed the Swiss icon in both years. Eventually, in August 2022, he announced his retirement from professional tennis.

New York had to wait until We...