Roger Federer Passes on US Open’s Flushing Meadows to Practice at Central Park

When an eight-time Wimbledon winner shows up, you give him the court.

On Wednesday, tennis living legend Roger Federer opted to skip out on his usual practice session at Flushing Meadows, the Queens site of the U.S. Open. Instead, the man with a record 19 Grand Slam singles titles decided to hit at New York City’s famed Central Park.

Absolutely no one in the Big Apple was bummed about having to watch and wait.

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Below are some photos Federer tweeted from his unusual outing. Readers can see that the gentleman had the decency to change his sweat-drenched shirt before taking some selfies.

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Federer’s U.S. Open second-round match is set for Thursday, when the veteran will take on Mikhail Youzhny.

Getting through Round 1 was no cakewalk, as Federer initially fell behind to 19-year-old American Frances Tiafoe, 4-6. He’d lose another set on the way to eventual victory, with the rest of the match playing out like this: 6-2, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4.

Federer, this year’s No. 3 seed, last won at Flushing Meadows in 2008.

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