Federer Surprises Fans With Central Park Hit

Imagine you go for a casual hit with your friends in Central Park on a sunny afternoon in New York, look across to the adjacent court and there is Roger Federer, plain as day, getting in a practice session of his own on a non-match day at the US Open.

That was the unique experience for lucky members of the public on Wednesday in the Big Apple, as Federer decided to spare himself a trip out to Flushing Meadows and take advantage of the US Open court in Central Park, following advice from Eric Butorac.

“I think we were looking for if there was any place at all in the city to play tennis at,” Federer explained to the media on Thursday, following his five-set win over Mikhail Youzhny in the second round. “Then I think we spoke to Eric Butorac of the tournament, spoke to coaches, [they] maybe gave an idea at Central Park, apparently they have a US Open court. I was like, ‘Yeah, anything that doesn’t make me drive very long.’

When in Central Park ??‍♂ pic.twitter.com/JOiFYETPqy

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) August 31, 2017

“I really liked the idea of playing in Central Park for the first time. We tried it out. It was perfect. I was really happy. It was really a totally different experience in the sense that when I finished practice, that was fun. If only all practices were like this. I really enjoyed myself.”

Away from the regimented style of practice sessions onsite, Federer revelled in the relaxed nature of the public courts and took time after practice to mingle with recreational players from other courts, who stopped to watch.

“I don’t do it nearly enough because the problem is we always go out, there’s always something to improve. If you don’t go out and improve something, you feel like it’s a waste.

“Sometimes I think having a fun practice session, being in a totally different surrounding like yesterday, where all 20 courts just stopped playing, came to watch you play. I don’t know. It was kind of really different. People were just happy to see you there, meet you, talk to you, maybe get a photo. They didn’t care about autographs.

“It was a different crowd. I really enjoyed that. Just to be in that environment for a change. I’ve seen the routine of normal practice sessions and matches, press, all the things we do in a row, it’s always the same. I think this was very refreshing. I hope I can do these things a bit more often.”

Federer is set to resume his US Open campaign on Saturday when he faces Feliciano Lopez in the third round.