Roger Federer made a triumphant return to the US Open court with a pair of exhibition victories in front of an adoring Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd in New York on Tuesday.

The event, billed as “An Icon Returns to New York”, packed the stands with fans eager to watch the 45-year-old Swiss star face Andy Roddick, who is soon to turn 44, in a prime-time exhibition.

Federer defeated Roddick in an opening singles match before teaming up with John McEnroe to win a doubles exhibition against Roddick and Andre Agassi.

Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam champion, returned to the court at the US Open for the first time since 2019.

The Swiss legend won five consecutive US Open men’s singles titles between 2004 and 2008, tying Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors for the most in the Open era.

“It’s great to be back in New York,” Federer said. “It’s incredible.

“I have incredible memories of this court, the fans here and the city. In 2004 and 2005, that’s when it all started here, my love for New York, with the victories here.”

He added: “I fell in love with this city and this court from day one.

“I believe my first time on Centre Court was against Andre [Agassi] in 2001. He smashed me 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. I had no shot. I was like, ‘Okay, not so easy, not so fast, Roger.'”

Watch the US Open live from August 30 on Sky Sports Tennis. Stream tennis with NOW and the Sky Sports App.

St Helens legend Jonny Lomax is to retire at the end of the 2026 Super League season, he announced on Tuesday.

Lomax, who has not featured since fracturing his jaw in Saints’ defeat by Warrington Wolves in June, has made 388 appearances for the club, winning five Grand Finals, one Challenge Cup and a World Club Challenge.

He won four caps for Great Britain and 11 for England, which included a World Cup final appearance against Australia in 2017.

Lomax confirmed the move with a post on his Instagram that read: “At the end of 2026, I will call time on my playing career. This was something I always planned, and those closest to me have always been aware of.

“Over the last 20 years [18 professionally], I have been able to live out a boyhood dream. Achieving far more than I could ever have imagined. Representing and captaining my hometown club and, of course, the pinnacle, representing England and Great Britain.

“I will retire at the age of 36, grateful for the life the game has given me, knowing I have given it everything I could, with the scars to prove it [19 operations, including 12 knee ops by the age of 26]. Despite this, I still feel lucky.

“For those that have supported me throughout it all… I hope I have been able to do you proud.”

Saints are currently on 28 points and seventh in the Super League standings, one place outside of the play-off positions with three games to go.

They need to leapfrog one of Hull KR (sixth, 30 points), Leigh Leopards (fifth, 32 points) or Wakefield Trinity (fourth, 32 points) down the stretch.

Current Super League leaders Leeds Rhinos, as well as Wigan Warriors – tied on 38 points but with an inferior point differential – and Warrington Wolves, two back in third, have already qualified for the play-offs.

Sky Sports will show every game of the Super League live this season, including two matches each round exclusively live. The remaining five matches will be broadcast on Sky Sports+.

It is not just Smith who has invested in football since a young age. Her dad, Sean, was tracking her statistics to monitor her progress.

“That is his favourite thing in the world to do. When I was younger, he would literally film all my games,” said Smith.

“After games, we would go back and watch everything, see what I could have done better and what I did well.

“He kept a diary of the goals that I scored, what minute it was in and things like that. He still has it to this day. He loves it!”

Beyond football, Smith loves to cook and watch TV series – Law and Order: SVU is a current favourite – and she says she is “dying to get a puppy”.

The young forward has learned to become independent, having left home as a teenager in order to chase a professional career.

But it hasn’t been easy. When Smith moved to Michigan aged 15 on her own, she didn’t know where she would be living when she boarded the plane.

“Moving around a lot, you’re sacrificing relationships because you make good friends in one place, then you have to move,” said Smith.

“That makes it quite tough, especially when you’re young. I struggled a lot with that. I had to leave to get training elsewhere.

“It helped me get used to what was to come, so I think it was a very important sacrifice in my journey.

“I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to make so many connections in different places, so even though I’m away from home I feel like I have family.”

For the first time in her career, Smith is about to begin a second season at the same club having settled into life at Arsenal.

“When I stepped into the building for my second pre-season it just felt surreal. It feels like home. It feels like Arsenal’s the place that’s meant to be,” said Smith.

“It’s an honour to be here. I’m just super excited to see where it takes me. I’ve always wanted to be somewhere for more than a year; I’ve moved around so much.

“I also knew there was so much more for me and I wanted to be the best that I could be. All those moves led me here.”

Smith’s ambitions have not changed.

At the age of six or seven, she wrote down in a journal what she wanted to achieve.

“I had a journal with everything in it that I wanted to accomplish and what I wanted to do: I want to win the Ballon d’Or. I want to win the World Cup,” she added.

“That’s still the case today. I want to win trophies with [Arsenal]. I’ve had this mentality since I was young. It is what has driven me this far.”