‘He’s still got it’: Roger Federer returns to action at Australian Open; casually beats Casper Ruud in tie-breaker

Roger Federer's practice session at the Rod Laver Arena was his first appearance on the court since 2020.

Six years after his final appearance at the Australian Open, Roger Federer returned to action at the Rod Laver Arena on Friday for the first time since 2020 for a practice session with Casper Ruud. The tennis legend is set to play an exhibition match on Saturday at the Rod Laver Arena, as part of the Grand Slam's first Opening Ceremony, which will also feature three more ATP No. 1 Club members (Andre Agassi, Patrick Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt).

The practice session was also a rare chance for fans, who flocked to the venue to watch Federer in action. They were left overjoyed as Federer showed his trademark shots, including his sublime one-handed backhand. Federer and Ruud trained in a tie-breaker scenario, and in the end, the 20-time Grand Slam Champion came out on top, winning 7-2.

Federer's practice session at the Rod Laver Arena was his first appearance on the court since 2020. During his career, he faced Ruud only once, in the fourth round of the 2019 French Open, which Federer won in straight sets.

Federer's special relationship with the Australian Open lies in the six of these 20 Grand Slams clinched in Melbourne. He boasts a 102-15 win-loss record at the tournament, and his last competitive action was in Melbourne in 2020. At the 2020 Australian Open, Federer lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.

Here are the reactions on social media:

Federer's favourite Australian Open title

Recently, in a conversation with the Australian Open's media team, Federer was asked about his favourite Australian Open title. The Swiss legend won his 2017 title, defeating Rafael Nadal in the final. "I guess it has to be 2017 just because of the way it ended in the finals against Rafa," he said.

"It was surreal. I came here with no expectations... I was maybe going to be happy with the quarters. I think Seve [Luthi], my coach secretly, Ivan [Ljubicic], believing I could do it. I was like more, ‘Yeah, no, not at 17 in the world, not having played in six months, all that’.

"I played really well at the Hopman Cup. Came here feeling good. Still I knew I had a tough draw, had to go through some big guys to get anywhere close to winning. I think just the way the finals played out kind of makes it maybe one of the best special ones I've ever had in my career," he added.