Roger Federer practiced in Central Park because practice makes Roger Federer perfect

Practice makes perfect. Roger Federer practices. Roger Federer makes perfect tennis.

While in New York for the 2017 U.S. Open, the 19-time grand slam champ stopped by Central Park for a surprise practice session on Wednesday afternoon. Citing a lack of preparation after narrowly escaping a five-set thriller in his first-round match a night earlier, the 36-year-old got right back to hitting:

“I don’t think I had the preparation I was hoping to get,” Federer told reporters after being used to the limit by Frances Tiafoe, a 19-year-old American, on Tuesday evening. “Since Montreal, focus has been more on the back, making sure I can play the tournament rather than being well-prepared. I always knew I was going to come in feeling rusty or not great. I was hoping to start better.”

Federer, a five-time U.S. Open winner, has already won the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2017. En route to his record-setting eighth title at Wimbledon, Federer didn’t lose a single set in the grass-court tournament.

Sports Illustrated executive editor and senior writer Jon Wertheim was alerted to the practice session on Wednesday by a reader via Twitter:

SI.com later provided more context on the practice:

A USTA rep couldn’t confirm the condition of the surface but did say that Federer called early on Wednesday morning to arrange a hitting session closer to his hotel in Manhattan. With the help of former ATP pro Eric Butorac and some extra security, Federer’s unconventional practice session came to life at the Central Park tennis courts. It all made for an awesome experience for New Yorkers on Wednesday.

Federer will be back in action at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday afternoon.