Keystone
The Australian Open is introducing an opening ceremony for the next edition next January – with Roger Federer as the first coffin guest.
“Initiating the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, this special event will be an opportunity to honor the great champions who shaped tennis, the passionate fans they inspired and the incredible legacy they continue to create,” the Australian Open tournament directorate said in a media release.
Roger Federer, who triumphed six times in Melbourne, will be the star guest at the first edition of this opening ceremony on January 17th. The 44-year-old from Basel will play a match with former world number one alongside other tennis greats such as four-time tournament winner Andre Agassi and the Australians Pat Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt.
“It feels like an eternity since I invented the expression Happy Slam for the Australian Open and it still makes me smile when I think back to all the moments I’ve experienced here,” Federer is quoted as saying in the media release.
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