Archive of posts tagged Asia

Roger Federer Return Set For Shanghai Exhibition Doubles

Posted by on

By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, August 11, 2025
Photo credit: Wilson

The Swiss Maestro will make the strings sing in Shanghai in October.

Former world No. 1 Roger Federer announced he will play an exhibition doubles match at the Rolex Shanghai Masters on October 10th.

tennis express pro player gear
tennis express pro player gear

“Shanghai has always been a special place for me, with great fans, unforgettable memories and a real love for the game,” Federer said in a video message posted on the tournament’s social media channels.  “I look forward to seeing you there on October 10th.

“Shanghai let’s meet.”

The Roger Federer and Friends Celebrity doubles match will feature actors Wu Lei and Donnie Yen, and former Chinese tennis player Zheng Jie. The Federer exhibition doubles match will be played on  Qizhong Stadium’s center court.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion returned to Shanghai last fall where he practiced with Carlos Alcaraz in a session starring two of the top shotmakers in Open Era history.

An immensely popular presence in Asia, Federer is a two-time Shanghai champion.

In the 2017 final, the second-seeded Swiss played a near-flawless match firing 10 aces against no double faults and permitting just eight points on serve in a 6-4, 6-3 win over top-seeded rival Rafael Nadal.

Federer captured his first Shanghai title in 2014 out-dueling Frenchman Gilles Simon 7-6(6), 7-6(2) in a one hour, 53-minute final. The third-seeded Federer stopped top-seeded Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4 in the 2014 semifinals.

In an interview with Tennis Now in New York City during the 2024 US Open, Federer said he had been hitting and was looking forward to potentially playing some exhibitions.

Visiting the Masters at Augusta National in April, Federer reiterated his desire to play some exhibitions.

“Honestly, I would love to play some more tennis again. Enough with the golf already for a moment now,” Roger told SNTV. 

“I would seriously start playing 2 or 3 times a week again and hopefully get myself back on the exhibition court and hopefully maybe fill up a few nice stadiums around the world.”

In two months time, fans will see Federer back on court in Shanghai.

Andrey Rublev reveals if Marat Safin will be present at the US Open

Posted by on

Andrey Rublev

Andrey Rublev is trying to turn his season and career around in recent times, having made the decision to hire Marat Safin as his new coach after going through a very negative period.

The Russian ace has a lot of points to defend at the 'Canadian Open' – which is taking place in Toronto right now – having reached the final in Montreal last year. The champion from Moscow can take advantage of the fact that numerous top players have decided not to participate in the prestigious Canadian tournament in this edition, preferring to recharge their batteries in view of the US Open scheduled for the end of the summer.

Without Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper – all absent for various reasons – Rublev can really try to achieve an exceptional result in Ontario, which would allow him to regain a lot of confidence in view of the last Grand Slam of the season. Last year's finalist had a strong debut in Toronto, where he defeated French star Hugo Gaston in straight sets.

Rublev opens up on Safin

During his press conference, he explained that the conditions are very different between Toronto and Montreal: "The courts are very fast here, the ball slips and it's not easy to control the shots. The situation is totally different from Montreal, where the surface is slower and the rallies are much longer. The conditions in Toronto are tougher in my opinion."

Rublev seems more confident and confident since Safin became his mentor and it is no coincidence that he put in excellent performances at the Wimbledon Championships, where he reached the round of 16 losing to Carlitos Alcaraz at the end of a hard-fought match (the Russian had won the first set, before suffering the comeback of the Spanish champion).

Andrey explained that Marat's presence in New York is not yet certain: "We hope he can be with me at the US Open, but it is not certain that he will be able to get his visa in time. If he doesn't succeed, we'll have to wait for the tournaments in Asia."