A year after an emotional and unforgettable Laver Cup edition at the O2 Arena in London, where the legendary Roger Federer bid adieu to the sport, the annual competition is back, this time at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada. However, unlike last year, where the Big Four of ATP tennis came together for the first time ever in a team sport, the likes of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray will all be missing. Federer will however be part of the event in Canada, but not as a participant. Team Europe and defending champions Team World will hence form a whole new side to compete for the trophy. And ahead of the start of the event, we take a look at everything there is to know about the 2023 Laver Cup…
What is the Laver Cup? What is the format of the event?
Laver Cup is the tennis version of golf’s Ryder Cup which began in 2017 and was later officially sanctioned as an ATP Tour event in 2019. It comprises of two teams – Team World and Team Europe, with six players in each side who will go up against each other in singles and doubles matches. The event will be played across three days, comprising five sessions with each match worth one point on Friday, two points on Saturday and three on Sunday. The first team to reach 13 points of the possible 24 wins the Laver Cup.
When is the 2023 Laver Cup?
The 2023 Laver Cup will be played between September 22 and 24. It is an indoor hard-court event and will be played at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada.
Who is playing at the Laver Cup? Will Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz be part of it?
Neither Djokovic nor Carlos Alcaraz will be part of the event. In fact Team Europe, captained by Bjorn Borg, will be represented by Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, Hubert Hurkacz, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Arthur Fils and Gael Monfils. Stefanos Tsitsipas was slated to be part of the team as well, but pulled out due to an injury and hence 19-year-old Fils replaced him while Fokina came in for injured Holger Rune.
“I’m looking forward to bringing the team together in Vancouver,” said McEnroe.“It is a talented group, with both experience and youth. Taylor, Frances, Felix and Tommy were all part of our win in London and that gives us a lot of confidence coming into this year. We’re feeling good about our chances.”
Taylor Fritz, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton and Francisco Cerundolo will be part of Team World, captained by John McEnroe. Nock Kyrgios was slated to be part of the team, but opted out as he continues to recover from an injury.
Who won the Laver Cup in 2022?
Team World won the Laver Cup in 2022 with a 13-8 win against Team Europe. It was Team World’s maiden Laver Cup title win in five editions. The cynosure of the event was however, Federer’s final career match which he played on the first evening alongside his longtime rival and friend Rafael Nadal. The pair had lost the match.
