Roger Federer was a master on grass and plays well on water too as he showed in Shanghai.
Richard PagliaroOctober 16, 20262 minute read
By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, October 16, 2026
Photo credit: On
Lawn lord Roger Federer captured eight Wimbledon championships.
Turns out, the Swiss stylist is skilled playing on water as well.
Hall of Famer Federer played on a floating tennis court at a new Chinese edition of the global “On Thanks for Playing” series in Shenzhen. Designed to celebrate the sport’s grassroots communities, the promotional activation featured On ambassador and co-owner Federer hitting on a one-of-a-kind floating tennis court installed on the waters of Shenzhen Talent Park.
Photo credit: On
In front of thousands of spectators gathered along the waterfront, Federer watched emotional fan films, capturing heartfelt personal stories from players and fans across China.
After watching the films, Federer stepped onto the court to play with 18-year-old Yunnan player Fa Wang – who went viral as the “Basket-carrying Tennis Teen” at age 14 – alongside standout local juniors Xinya Xiao, Siyan Jiang & Zixi Yang.
Photo credit: On
The Federer exhibition event was watched by over 9.6 million people on a livestream, the evening culminated in a breathtaking 2,000-drone aerial light installation over the Shenzhen skyline, depicting the journey of a tennis dream originating in Basel, traveling across the globe, and igniting the skies above Shenzhen with the shared mantra: Dream On.
Photo credit: On
“When I was growing up as a kid in Basel, tennis was also just an incredible dream and a wooden racquet for me,” Federer said. “Stepping onto the floating court today in Shenzhen and rallying with these young players reminds me why this sport is so magical.
‘On Thanks for Playing’ is a celebration of everyone who shares that same passion for tennis and helps make the sport so special.”
Several Chinese fans exhibited emotional reactions on meeting Federer, who signed autographs and took selfies with fans.
The event also celebrated the unveiling of a special edition of THE ROGER Wildcard, a shoe born out of On’s ongoing collaboration with Federer and the young athletes of the Wild Elephant Tennis Club.
Photo credit: On
In a statement, On said: “The event marked an emotional reunion at the Shenzhen flagship between Federer and the young players, who first met in Shanghai two years ago. Following their initial meeting, On’s design and innovation teams incorporated the motifs of an original hand-painted drawing by one of the kids into the shoe’s graphic detailing and custom sockliner, pairing high-performance Swiss engineering with authentic grassroots storytelling.”
