(Video) Lleyton Hewitt Hits an Audacious Volley Against Roger Federer During the Opening Ceremony Exhibition Match at the Australian Open

Roger Federer, Lleyton Hewitt, Andre Agassi and Patrick Rafter took part in exhibition doubles at the Australian Open.

(Video) Lleyton Hewitt Hits an Audacious Volley Against Roger Federer During the Opening Ceremony Exhibition Match at the Australian Open

Lleyton Hewitt hit a stunning volley (via X/The Tennis Letter/Puntodebreak/Australian Open)

Roger Federer, Lleyton Hewitt, Andre Agassi, Patrick Rafter, and Ashleigh Barty took to the court on Saturday night (January 17) at the Australian Open to entertain the crowd with an excellent exhibition doubles during the inaugural opening ceremony of the first Grand Slam of the season in Melbourne.

Federer had arrived in Melbourne on Thursday, receiving a warm welcome from fans and men’s and women’s players. The tennis legend later had a lovely press conference, where he talked about the rivalry that exists between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner and how Alcaraz plays almost like him on the court.

His arrival at the Australian Open was because he participated in the Grand Slam’s opening ceremony in a special “Battle of the World No.1’s” game on Saturday. Federer, Agassi, Rafter, and Hewitt took to the Rod Laver Arena with the crowd standing in joy as the four ATP No.1 Club members got ready for their exhibition match.

Federer partnered with Agassi, while Hewitt kicked off with Rafter as his partner in the match. All the players had microphones, which led Federer to greet the crowd first before the match started. Hewitt served to open the match, with his partner looking more relaxed with a perfect position on the court.

The crowd erupted in cheers when Federer hit a forehand lob that surprisingly landed as a winner, as Rafter failed to really connect with the ball, causing the players to laugh at his mistake, while Hewitt shook his head in disbelief. However, the highlight of the match came in the fifth game of the first set.

There was a close net-hitting battle among the four players, which excited the crowd, but Hewitt had a better idea of how to win the point. The former Australian player hit a wild backhand shot that left Federer and Agassi in shock. He celebrated the shot by running around his baseline like a football player who had scored a late winner.

Nonetheless, as the match continued, the contrasting styles of all four players became very evident. Agassi joked about remaining on the baseline, while Federer often likes going close to the net. In a first-to-flit format, the first two sets went by quickly, with the score at 4-2, 2-4, with Hewitt and Rafter taking the first set.

Novak Djokovic laughs at Roger Federer after he loses a point at the Australian Open

After a tied match in the two sets, Ashleigh Barty decided to replace the tires Andre Agassi on the court. That face, Roger Federer, took the momentum in the match, looking physically strong and mentally alert throughout the tie. However, in the second game of the third set, Novak Djokovic was spotted watching the match closely as Federer had a close net rally against Patrick Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt.

Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer
Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer (Image via X/Danny)

Barty left the court after Federer decided to face the two former ATP No.1’s but failed to win the point, which got Djokovic laughing in the stands close to the court. Nonetheless, Federer and Barty went on to win 2-4, 4-2, 4-2 in the exhibition match. After the match, Federer revealed that he was delighted to be back at the Australian Open:

It was beautiful. It was fantastic. I couldn’t be any happier. Just being back in Melbourne with my friends, legends, rivals, is always a thrill. I am a big historian of the game and looked back at who has paved the way for us and this is a beautiful moment for tennis and obviously I am looking forward to the Australian Open.

Federer won the Australian Open six times in his career, with Agassi winning it four times, while Hewitt reached the final in 2005 and Rafter got to the semi-finals in 2001. However, they wouldn’t play at this year’s tournament, having retired, but Djokovic will take to the court on Monday night (January 19) at the same Rod Laver Arena against Pedro Martinez with the aim of winning his 25th Grand Slam at the event.

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