Roger Federer Makes Fans Nostalgic With His Reaction to Danill Medvedev’s Stunning Volley in Epic 2018 Shanghai Masters Clash

The 2024 Shanghai Masters is heating up, with several players already making headlines for their excellent performances. However, the player trending on social media isn’t even playing anymore. Roger Federer’s supporters flooded the comments section with nostalgia after seeing an epic moment from one of his matches during the 2018 event resurface.

The clip is from the Swiss maestro’s round-of-32 clash against Daniil Medvedev in 2018. The incident occurred in the second set with both players tied at 2-2. It was Medvedev’s service game, and Federer visibly struggled to gain the upper hand.

The Russian added to the Swiss star’s struggles by constantly pushing him to both extremes of the court to chase the ball. After exchanging a couple of returns, Medvedev decided to trick Federer with a clever slice that landed near the net.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion, however, reached the ball and struck a powerful down-the-line shot that almost escaped Medvedev’s reach. But the Russian, in full stretch, connected with a single-handed backhand. The ball just landed on Federer’s side of the net, but the Swiss star was unable to get there in time.

The entire crowd gasped in surprise, as did Federer. He was taken aback but still clapped in appreciation for the return.

After a clip of this rally recently went viral, tennis fans swarmed the comments section, claiming that they find it enjoyable to watch even the highlights of Federer.

Tennis fans still can’t get over Federer

Their comments showed how much they miss the player, with some stating that he is still one of the best players to have ever graced the game.

However, the round-of-32 contest ultimately ended in Federer’s favor. After losing the second set to Medvedev, he regained his dominance by clinching the last set. Federer’s run at the tournament in 2018 ended in the semifinal when he was beaten by Croatian Borna Koric, who was later defeated by Novak Djokovic in the final.

Federer has won a total of two titles in Shanghai — in 2006 and 2017, respectively. In 2006, Federer secured his 12th title of the year by defeating James Blake in the Shanghai final. In 2017, he faced his biggest rival, Rafael Nadal, in the final and beat him as well.