Federer declines invite to attend 2023 Australian Open, but remains an open invite: "The welcome mat will always be rolled out for Roger"

Roger Federer turned down an invitation to attend the 2023 Australian Open but it remains an open one if he changes his mind as the event goes on.

Many hoped Federer would attend this Australian Open as a player but that bubble was burst some time ago when he announced his retirement from tennis. The Swiss player was invited to be part of the event as a spectator but according to the Sydney Morning Herald, Federer declined the invitation to be present there with an Australian Open official commenting to the newspaper:

“The welcome mat will always be rolled out for Roger”

They are hopeful that Federer will attend the event next year as they want him to properly say goodbye to tennis fans who watched him win the event in the past.