Roger Federer is heading into a rare stretch of public tennis commitments, with a schedule that marks his busiest week in the sport since his farewell at the 2022 Laver Cup.

The Swiss great is due to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, from 27 to 29 August, where Mary Carillo will also be honored. In addition, Federer will return to the US Open for Opening Week, taking part in an exhibition doubles match.

His appearance on Arthur Ashe Stadium is set for Tuesday, August 25th, when he is scheduled to team up with Andy Roddick, John McEnroe, and Andre Agassi. Federer is already in Flushing Meadows, and his first on-court session has been added to the practice schedule with a former top 10 player on the ATP Tour.

That player is Lorenzo Musetti, with the pair set to hit together on Arthur Ashe on Monday, August 24th, between 3pm and 4pm. Musetti is one of the highest ranked players using a one-handed backhand, a shot that became one of Federer’s defining weapons during his ATP Tour dominance.

Their session is scheduled after Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina, who will also be on Arthur Ashe Stadium as they prepare for their US Open mixed doubles appearance.

Even in practice, Federer remains one of the sport’s biggest attractions. His record at the US Open underlines why his return draws so much attention. He won the event five times in a row from 2004 to 2008, a run that has not been matched in the Open Era.

Federer went 89-14 at the tournament, a winning rate of 86%, making it his second-best Grand Slam by that measure behind only the Australian Open. His final competitive US Open appearance came in 2019, when he reached the quarter-finals before losing in five sets to Grigor Dimitrov.

Across 24 appearances in New York, he was never beaten in the first round. His earliest main-draw exit came in 2000, when, aged 19, he lost in the third round to Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Carlos Alcaraz has spoken openly about how much he has missed competitive tennis as he readies himself for a return at the 2026 US Open.

The Spanish star confirmed last week that he will come back from more than four months out with a right wrist injury to compete in New York. His most recent match came at the Barcelona Open in April, where he picked up the injury that forced him to miss both Roland Garros and Wimbledon this summer.

On Sunday, Alcaraz took to the practice courts at Flushing Meadows for the first time this year, working in front of spectators in Louis Armstrong Stadium. After the session, he gave a brief interview and said the return carried a deep emotional charge.

“After a couple of months recovering from my injury, I miss everything. I miss this place, I miss the crowd, I miss the ball kids,” said the 23-year-old.

He added that being back in New York felt like the right setting for his comeback. “I think I couldn’t have started at a better place than here, so I feel very grateful. I’m just happy.”

Alcaraz also acknowledged that entering a Grand Slam after such a long absence was not straightforward. “Yeah, I mean, it is a very special tournament for me. It’s a Grand Slam, best of five.

“So yeah, as I said, after more than four months, coming back at a Grand Slam wasn’t an easy decision, but I just tried to put everything to be ready for this tournament.”

The world No 3 is the defending US Open champion after beating Jannik Sinner in the 2025 final to claim his second title at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

He is also scheduled to team up with Serena Williams in the US Open mixed doubles event, which takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday. The singles events at Flushing Meadows run from Sunday 30 August to Sunday 13 September.

The US Open is underway with Opening Week, and the build-up to the main draw is already packed with attention-grabbing matches and events designed to keep fans engaged ahead of the tournament proper.

Among the exhibition attractions are Roger Federer’s return to the US Open for the first time since he retired, along with Alex Eala against Iva Jovic.

The other major feature of the week is the US Open Mixed Doubles, which is being staged again after its format was changed from a competition for doubles specialists into one built around top singles players pairing up for a shot at the $1 million prize pot.

That move has drawn sharp criticism from doubles players. Alize Cornet, who reached the quarter finals of the US Open in mixed doubles under the previous format, spoke out strongly against the change after appearing on French TV show, Les Grandes Gueules du Sport.

“Why not organize an exhibition? Let’s not kid ourselves. It’s just a way to make money. It’s nothing like the US Open mixed doubles tournament anymore,” said Cornet.

“It’s a total lack of respect for the sport. It hurts the doubles players who dedicate themselves to this discipline. It’s their livelihood throughout the year; they work hard to achieve it. It’s unfair.”

Cornet is not alone in questioning the new setup. Sara Errani and Andreas Vavassori, who won the event in its inaugural year, also issued a statement criticising the organisers over the star-driven change. Australian doubles player Ellen Perez likewise took aim at the switch, saying: “Tell us that you think doubles players are trash, that tradition is over-rated and job opportunity is a thing of the past without actually saying it” when the tournament announced the change.

This year’s field includes several high-profile pairings, among them Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams in doubles for the first time, Novak Djokovic alongside world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, and the all-American team of Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz.

Qualifying, which is largely made up of doubles specialists, takes place on Monday, 24th August, while the highest-ranked singles players have mostly been handed wildcards. The main draw is set for Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday, 25th August and Wednesday, 26th August.

Several leading players, including Alcaraz, will use the event as preparation ahead of the main draw beginning on Sunday, 30th August.