Roger Federer was the major star of the Australian Open’s ‘Opening Week’ ahead of the tournament main draw.
Federer played a tie-break against Casper Ruud at the Australian Open, which saw the retired legend win 7-2.
The Swiss star then took part in an all-star doubles match as part of the opening ceremony, which saw the likes of Pat Rafter, Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, and Ash Barty compete.
Federer’s appearances across the Opening Week have helped the Australian Open make tournament history.
Roger Federer stars as Australian Open hits attendance record
The Australian Open ‘Opening Week’ was introduced in 2023 and it’s gone from strength to strength since.
This year’s event was the biggest yet, with the arrival of the One-Point Slam and a Mixed Doubles tournament won by Nick Kyrgios.
The mass appeal of the first week of the Australian Open saw a total of 217,999 fans flock to the event over the week.
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That’s up by over 100,000 fans from the 2025 event, which saw a total number of 116,528 enter Melbourne Park.
The rise of the Grand Slam’s ‘Opening Week’ is quite extraordinary, with the first event in 2023 seeing 63,120 attend.
The publicity from Federer’s appearance, as well as Jordan Smith’s landmark win at the One-Point Slam, has certainly seen the popularity of the event soar.
With the two main weeks yet to go, the Australian Open could be set for their biggest year yet.
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Federer might have helped the Australian Open hit new heights, but he doesn’t think the Happy Slam is perfect.
Speaking at his Australian Open press conference, Federer suggested a subtle tweak to the Grand Slam’s final.
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He believes the event should take place in the daytime, rather than at night, so children can be inspired by the tennis.
“They were too young to come out for the night session. So I think we’ve maybe got to bring back the day session final for the young children because all us players are having kids now and we want them to be a part of it.”
Federer is not the only star to complain about the night time sessions at the Australian Open, with the likes of Andy Murray and Daniil Medvedev calling for a curfew at the event.
