The Laver
Cup is gearing up for its 7th edition, which will begin on September 20th on
indoor hard courts in Berlin. This will mark the last time
John McEnroe (Team
World) and
Bjorn Borg (Team Europe) serve as captains.
After a
clear dominance by Team Europe, who won the first four editions in a row, the
last two Laver Cups went to Team World, despite them not being the favourites.
Once again, Team Europe appears to be the favourite, judging by the rankings of
their players. However, Team World boasts several players in excellent form.
Line-up including Alcaraz, Zverev and Fritz
The
tournament features 12 players, six on each team. The captains' rosters include
five top-10 players for Team Europe, while Team World has just one, with their
main asset being
Taylor Fritz (No. 7).
The
European team is led by 4-time Grand Slam champion
Carlos Alcaraz (No. 3) and
German world No. 2
Alexander Zverev. The rest of the team is equally
impressive, with
Daniil Medvedev (No. 5),
Casper Ruud (No. 9),
Grigor Dimitrov
(No. 10), and
Stefanos Tsitsipas (No. 12). Dimitrov was the last to join the
squad following Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal.
On the
other side, alongside Fritz, Americans
Frances Tiafoe (No. 16) and
Ben Shelton
(No. 17) stand out as key players. Further down the rankings are South
Americans
Alejandro Tabilo (No. 22) and
Francisco Cerundolo (No. 31), while the
6th player is none other than
Thanasi Kokkinakis (No. 78). The latter two were
last-minute additions after the withdrawals of Alex De Minaur (No. 11) and
Tommy Paul (No. 13).
Alcaraz won two Grand Slam titles this year. He's ready to make his Laver Cup debut
Format
As in
previous editions, there will be three singles matches and one doubles match
each day. Wins will have different values depending on the day: victories on
the first day will earn one point, on the second day two points, and on the
third day three points per match. The first team to reach 13 points will be
declared the winner. This format ensures that the competition remains undecided
until the final day.
For
example, even if one team were to win all four matches on the first two days,
the score would still be 12-0, meaning they would need at least one win on the
third day. There will be a total of nine singles and three doubles matches, so
each player will compete in two or three matches. The captains will decide who
plays each day, so the exact matchups remain unknown.
Prize
Money and Where to Watch
The
tournament will offer a total prize pool of $2,250,000. Each member of the
winning team will take home $250,000, while the losing team members will earn
$125,000. Although the
Laver Cup is included in the ATP calendar, it does not
award ranking points.
Team World
could close in on Team Europe, aiming for their third consecutive win. The
overall series between the two teams currently stands at 4-2 in favour of
Europe. Captains Borg and McEnroe will experience their final run, as Yannik
Noah will take over as Team Europe captain in 2025, while Andre Agassi will
lead Team World.
You can follow all the tournament live in the following channels and sites:
USA: Tennis Channel
Europe: Eurosport
Canada: TSN and TVA Sports.