The seventh edition of the Laver Cup is about to begin, with Team Europe and Team World set to lock horns in Berlin. The indoor tournament is tennis’ answer to golf’s Ryder Cup, and pits a team of six of the best Europeans against six of their best counterparts from the rest of the world, with two legends of the game captaining each side.
Typically, teams consist of the very biggest and best players the sport has to offer, though Team Europe have some very notable absentees this year. Not only are they missing World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who won the US Open earlier this month, but they’re also without both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
Despite initially being included in Bjorn Borg’s European team, Nadal, 38, withdrew from the tournament a couple of weeks ago. The Spaniard, who hasn’t stepped foot on a court since losing to Djokovic at the Paris Olympics in July, insisted he had “zero problems” mentally or physically, but that a lack of match fitness was forcing his hand.
“Right now, I’m not in a position to win anything,” he told Eurosport. “I said that I would play until the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and then we would see, and I am in that time of rest. Mentally, I am well. Zero problems physically too.
“I’m at home enjoying other things and training what I can daily. These are the decisions that are being made and it was a possibility. I haven’t competed for a while… I need to do what’s best for them and at this moment there are other players who can help the team deliver the win.”
The news prompted further speculation about Nadal’s future in the game. Many tipped him to retire at the Laver Cup, but his withdrawal has thrown those plans into chaos. The 22-time Grand Slam champion hasn’t won a major since 2022, and after an injury-ravaged last few years, few expect Nadal to last much longer.
Unlike Nadal, Djokovic, 37, and Sinner, 23, were never in line to take part in this year’s Laver Cup. Both players ruled themselves out of contention months ago in order to focus on other competitions.
It’s possible that Djokovic, who faced Grigor Dimitrov in a charity match on Tuesday, fancied a rest after a gruelling few months, which included playing at the French Open, recovering from a knee injury, reaching the final of Wimbledon, winning gold at the Paris Olympics and competing at the US Open.
Sinner, meanwhile, has been locked in to play at the China Open, which begins just a few days after the Laver Cup ends, since the start of the year. The tournament is a 500-event, meaning that a strong performance will help consolidate the Italian’s position as World No. 1.
Despite the absence of the aforementioned trio, Team Europe is still packed to the rafters with talent. Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz is in the side, as is World No. 2 Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, Dimitrov and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
For Team World, US Open runner-up Taylor Fritz has been given the nod, as have his compatriots Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton. Alex de Minaur and Tommy Paul were initially included in the line-up, but both players have since pulled out. The rest of the team, captained by John McEnroe, includes Alejandro Tabilo, Francisco Cerundolo and Thanasi Kokkinakis.
The Laver Cup has been running annually since 2017, though no tournament took place in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s the brainchild of Roger Federer, who named it after Australian tennis legend Rod Laver.
12 matches (nine singles and three doubles) are played over a three-day period. Each victory is worth one point on Day 1, two on Day 2, and three on Day 3 – and the first team to claim 13 points overall wins the tournament.
Team Europe won the first four iterations of the competition, but Team World have come roaring back with two victories on the trot – including a 13-2 hammering at last year’s event.