Roger Federer will double up in Shanghai next month. The world No. 6 plans to play doubles with Zhang Ze, China's top-ranked men's player, at the Shanghai Masters, which begins on October 6.
World No. 180 Zhang, who grew up looking up to Federer, received a wild card into the tournament.
"I was surprised when first told about it," Zhang told Shanghai Daily. "But I'm looking forward to it and will try to learn something from the matches."
Federer's last ATP doubles match came when he partnered longtime friend Tommy Haas in Halle last June. They lost to Jurgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner, 7-6, 6-4. Federer hasn't played doubles in a Masters 1000 tournament since he partnered compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka to reach the 2011 Indian Wells final, where they fell to Xavier Malisse and Alexandr Dolgopolov, 6-4, 6-7, 10-7.