The competition and camaraderie of Laver Cup set to unfold with new chapter in Berlin

Considering that Laver Cup was launched only seven years ago, it’s amazing how much traction this event has already generated.

From the presence of legends Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe as captains, to the historic aura of Rod Laver, to the extraordinary worldwide popularity of Laver Cup’s founder, Roger Federer, this special event’s appeal has stretched far beyond the confines of the global tennis community. The 2024 edition takes place in Berlin, kicks off on Friday, September 20 and concludes on Sunday, September 22.

How we are to best regard Laver Cup? As a pure competition? An All-Star game? Competitive reality show with a prominent cast? Resume-builder or one-off?

No doubt one reason Laver Cup is so alluring is that it’s a team event. “I think it’s nice to have your typical opponents be teammates for once,” Team Europe’s Casper Ruud said last year. “You kind of create a connection or a bond that you can kind of use for the rest of the year.”

Having loved his stint as a college tennis player, Team World member Ben Shelton relished the chance to once again join forces with others. “I love the type of pressure of playing for a team,” Shelton said during his 2023 Laver Cup debut. “It’s in the back of your head; you don’t want to let them down. The win is so much greater when you get to do it for them.”

And who wouldn’t want to gain coaching insights from such sharp tennis minds as Federer or McEnroe? “You hopefully have the right feel for knowing when to say something, when it’s needed,” said McEnroe. “That’s the million-dollar question, in a way, knowing when to say something that you hope will make a positive difference. That’s what I try to do.”

Continue with the composition of the teams—Team Europe versus Team World, a structure that speaks volumes about how tennis’ balance of power has played out in recent years. Following Team Europe winning the first four competitions, I heard comments from many fans who suggested Russia be moved to Team World. One friend of mine insisted that Russia was actually part of Asia rather than Europe. Ah, the machinations of tennis geopolitics. Eventually, though, Team World won in 2022 and repeated that triumph last year.

You create a connection or a bond that you can use for the rest of the year. —Casper Ruud

The match format is extremely player-friendly—two sets. Should the players split sets, a 10-point tiebreaker is played in lieu of a third set. An indoor court strips away such intrusive and potentially troublesome elements as wind, sun, and excessive heat, humidity, or chill. Such a comfortable environment contributes to the All-Star Game-like quality, creating a rare blend of relaxation and intensity. Extensive camera work also brings fans up close to the players, far more than other tennis competitions.

Matches count for one point on day one, two on day two, three on day three. Then again, what that approach lacks in fairnessthose puny day one results are often long forgotten by day three—has often been made up for with drama.

One notable moment came in 2018. With Team Europe leading 10-8 on day three, Alexander Zverev attempted to clinch the title versus Kevin Anderson. Zverev had lost the first set in a tiebreaker, in large part due to his struggles with Anderson’s excellent serve. As Zverev pondered what to do, he received a mid-match intervention from none other than Federer.

“You can return from where Bjorn [Borg] said or you can find your return position,” said Federer, quoted in a story that appeared on Yahoo. “But once the rally gets going, you have to remind yourself to keep your position or move forward. Stop moving back and back and back.”

There followed more input from Federer, a brilliant and concise analysis of why Zverev was losing and what was required to turn the match around. Eventually, he did, beating Anderson and earning the three points necessary to close out the competition.

Four years later, on the final day, Frances Tiafoe fought off four match points versus Stefanos Tsitsipas to clinch Team World’s first victory. "We all did it together; it wasn’t just me,” Tiafoe said that day. “I showed a lot of heart to get this done. This is big.”

What can we expect this coming week? Team Europe consists of five Laver Cup veterans—Ruud, Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas—and a very exciting rookie, Carlos Alcaraz. Team World’s squad features the experienced Shelton, Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, Francisco Cerundolo, Thanasi Kokkinakis, and newcomer Alejandro Tabilo. The comparative resumes of each squad make Team Europe a heavy favorite.

And yet, for all that, Laver Cup’s results mean little in shaping the narrative of the tennis year. No one will ever look back at a player’s career and cite how his Laver Cup results positively or negatively shaped his quantitative tennis journey. This event’s competitive aspect is brief and fleeting.

But then there is Laver Cup’s potential for emotional power and the possibility of qualitative impact. Consider the unforgettable moment that happened at Laver Cup two years ago in London. This was Federer’s final competition—a Friday doubles match with Nadal versus Tiafoe and Jack Sock. Though the Americans won, that hardly mattered.

Read More: Nadal’s tears revealed human side of Federer rivalry

Afterwards, there came a ceremony honoring Federer and one of the greatest scenes you’ll ever see—Federer and Nadal, sitting on a bench, each in tears, holding hands. What were those tears for? Certainly, a tribute to Federer. But perhaps even more, as the two rivals connected with one another, a shared emotional awareness of what each had meant for one another’s development as both player and person.

“Your peers are the ones who make you better,” said Laver. “They’re your rivals, but they’re also your friends. You travel with them, eat with them, practice with them, learn from them. Competition and camaraderie – that’s what it’s all about.”

For that mega-reason alone, Laver Cup has already left a powerful mark.