Watch: Throwback to when Roger Federer hit an extraordinary double tweener against Juan Martin del Potro
Roger Federer delighted fans with a rare double tweener in an exhibition match against Juan Martin del Porto in 2012. The encounter was part of "The Gillette Tour" and was organized in collaboration with his sponsor Gillette.
The Swiss player was joined by several prominent names like Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Mike Bryan and Bob Bryan during the tour and the band made several stops all over South America.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion took on the local phenom in Tigre, a city in del Potro's home province of Buenos Aires. Federer, who was not hesitant about going for extraordinary shots even during competitive matches, turned on the style in the exhibition event.
The first set went to the Swiss 6-4 but del Potro broke early in the second set to take a 3-1 lead. In his third service game, the current World No. 29 attempted a quick serve-and-volley and rushed to the net immediately after serving.
The ploy should have worked out in his favor, but he missed a sure-shot smash and ended up hitting it straight at the Argentinian. The former US Open winner made use of his opponent's momentarily lapse in concentration and cleverly lobbed it over him.
A Federer Special.
Federer's double tweener rally in Argentina 💫 https://t.co/soX4oYWs5H
The former World No. 1, however, was up to the task and raced back to the baseline to hit his first tweener of the day. Unlike most players, Juan Martin del Potro stayed behind in anticipation of the move and met the shot with a cross-court forehand.
As the rally continued for a few more shots, the 20-time Grand Slam champion sought to put an end to proceedings, this time with a pick-up drop shot. Once again, the former World No. 3 was alert and quickly responded with another lob.
For the second time during the course of the point, the Swiss galloped back to hit a tweener. Only this time, del Potro was standing close to the net and even a desperate lunge could not get the Argentinian out of trouble. His wayward volley ended up going out of bounds to seal the point in Federer's favor.
Understandably, the moment(s) of magic pushed the crowd to their feet and both players were rewarded with an extended bout of applause. Here is a short video of the incident uploaded to YouTube:
Roger Federer's date of return will become clear in the next couple of months
Roger Federer has not played any competitive tennis since the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, where he lost in the quarterfinals against Hubert Hurkacz. The Swiss has been out of action since then, undergoing rehabilitation for his knee injury.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion stated in a recent interview that his rehab was going well, and that he will know for certain by April when he can finally return to action.
"The question of [when I can return to action] is better answered maybe by April or May," he said. "For now, the drive [to play tennis again] is there. I am really motivated to do my work, what I am allowed to do"