"USA vs World Laver Cup???" – Coco Gauff calls for a women's edition of the tournament

America is riding high in the WTA rankings, with a significant presence of stateside players in the top 10. Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, and Emma Navarro are among the world's best, showcasing the depth of talent in American women’s tennis.

The Laver Cup, a competition that pits the best players in the world against America’s best, has been a resounding success since its inception in 2017. Given the strong American presence in the WTA rankings, Gauff has called for a women’s version of this successful event.

America is riding high in the rankings

Many sensational tennis talents from America have made their presence known on the world stage over the past few years. Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul have been making an impact in the men's game. However, in the women's rankings, the United States has been dominating.

There are currently four American players occupying spots in the WTA top 10. Gauff sits third, Pegula sixth, Keys seventh, and Navarro ninth. Their performances in Melbourne were spectacular, with Keys outshining her compatriots by winning her first Grand Slam title. The world number seven defeated Danielle Collins, Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek, and Aryna Sabalenka to secure the Australian Open title.

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The strong performances from American women in tennis have catalysed conversations about introducing a women’s team event in the Laver Cup.

What has been said

John McEnroe at Laver Cup 2024 

With so many great American competitors, it was only natural for questions to arise about introducing a women’s competition. Gauff shared her thoughts on Instagram, writing:

"USA vs World Laver Cup???"

Last year, Tony Godsick, who worked with Roger Federer to create the Laver Cup, discussed the possibility of introducing a women's event.

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"It will take a little time to think about a fitting format for a tournament with women," he said. "First of all, we want to reach our full potential with the Laver Cup for men, then we will look at various possibilities.

"We would have to name and organise it differently, but the format works. We can come up with something in the future.

"We aim to be like the Ryder Cup in golf, but the Ryder Cup is 90 years ahead of us."

However, he played down the idea of Laver Cup becoming a mixed-gender event.

"Look, the Hopman Cup already exists," he explained. "I don't know what shape and form or when it takes place now, but there is an event.

"It's now in the spring or summer. It used to be in January before the Australian Open, which combines men and women. The format is very important in this one, and we spent a lot of time before we started ensuring we tried to get it right.

"We didn't know it would be as successful and that it would sort of hit and stick as well as it did, but I think all of a sudden, if we changed this and added women to it, it would sort of be like the Hopman Cup that kind of exists already."

Looking ahead

Adding a women’s event to the Laver Cup is not just a possibility; it is a potential game-changer. With so much talenton both sides of the court, the prospect of a women’s Laver Cup is not just exciting—it seems like an inevitable evolution of the tournament.

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