By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, September 20, 2019
Even if creator Roger Federer calls it quits in 2020, Laver Cup has quite a bright future as a game-changing competition.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy
The charcoal-colored court provides a dramatic backdrop where old rivals are ignited and new ones created.
Opening day of the third annual Laver Cup at the Palexpo in Geneva star power, legends—Rod Laver and team captains Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe on the sidelines—technical innovation including camera angles from the players’ perspectives and in-match interviews, and enthusiastic capacity crowds.
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Team play poses a stress test like no other in an individual sport.
We saw Jack Sock surprise Fabio Fognini for his first singles win since November, 2018, while both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Fognini's sometime sparring partner, provided coaching to the theatrical Italian on changeovers.
Laver Cup also gives us a glimpse of tennis' future.
For the third straight year, Team Europe ended opening day of play holding a 3-1 lead over Team World.
The impact of the competition transcends the score.
Our Top 5 reasons why Laver Cup is a game-changing competition that should enjoy a long run of success.
Fed Factor
The Swiss Maestro remains the sport’s biggest draw and clearly a major reason for Laver Cup’s success.
The 38-year-old Federer said earlier this week he’s committed to playing through the 2020 Wimbledon then assess his competitive future. Here’s the thing: even if Federer retires from the ATP Tour or cuts back his playing schedule, he can still continue to play Laver Cup—and reduced tournament schedule would makes his Laver Cup appearances even more meaningful.
Laver Cup’s “captain choice” rule empowers a captain to pick a player regardless of ranking. World captain John McEnroe selected world No. 210 Jack Sock, whom McEnroe called “our Team MVP last year”, to the squad in Geneva and Sock immediately produced toppling Fabio Fognini in day one action.
The format also allows the Swiss superstar to unleash his complete explosive arsenal knowing it’s best-of-three-sets with a tie break in lieu of a third set rather than the best-of-five set format of Grand Slam which are more physically punishing.
Last year, more than 90,000 fans attended the three-day Laver Cup at the United Center in Chicago. If Federer plays, the event will sustain the sell-out streak.
Generation Jam
Laver Cup is a bit of a fusion of Ryder Cup, ATP Finals and NextGen ATP Finals packed into a three-day event with the intensity of a rugby match and the pyrotechnic power of a rock concert.
While its tagline "rivals become teammates" highlights Laver Cup's root appeal—where else can you see Roger and Rafa unite as doubles partners—another appeal is the cross-generational component.
Federer and his management firm, Team8, created the concept in 2016 to honor Hall of Famer Rod Laver, the only player in history to sweep the Grand Slam twice.
Bringing Europe captain Bjorn Borg and World captain John McEnroe on board gives today’s players a direct connection to champions who helped popularize the sport in the Open Era.
The age range also creates compelling singles clashes and doubles partnerships. The 38-year-old Federer joined forces with the 22-year-old Zverev in doubles today. Federer and Rafael Nadal are expected to reprise their doubles partnership from Prague in Geneva this weekend.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy
Laver Cup gives us classic combinations, including Roger and Rafa, and also some intriguing mash-ups of younger players like 20-year-old Denis Shapovalov partnering Grand Slam doubles champion Jack Sock for Team World.
Throughout pro tennis history, these generational clashes—think 15-year-old Coco Gauff facing 39-year-old Venus Williams—have captivated fans as a fusion of tennis history. In 1969, Rod Laver made history beating fellow Aussie Tony Roche in the US Open final to complete his second career Grand Slam in a rain-delayed final at Forest Hills.
Four months later, a 41-year-old Pancho Gonzalez toppled Laver before a packed crowd at New York’s Madison Square Garden in a five-set thriller that drew more fans than the Forest Hills final. As young stars establish themselves, it makes matches against icons like Federer and Nadal more intriguiging.
Active Alliances
The writing is all over the back black wall.
Blue chip sponsors—Rolex, Credit-Suisse, Mercedes-Benz and Moët & Chandon—boast sponsorship signage at the Palexpo in Geneva. Laver Cup has amassed an enviable portfolio of powerful sponsors and marketing muscle.
One of the most significant partnerships came this year with the ATP announcing an agreement that makes the annual men’s team event an official part of the ATP Tour calendar.
In just its third year of existence, Laver Cup has a strong financial and structural support system in place to ensure longevity in an era where even some prominent tournaments can struggle for non-endemic sponsorship. That bodes well for its future.
Moveable Feast
There's strength in flexibility: Laver Cup alternates annually between European and World host cities.
That gives organizers opportunity to partner tennis hot spouts sprouting around the world, bring legendary champions to some cities they've never played previously and enough time to promote the event.
That freshness creates buzz in the building—Laver Cup has sold out in Prague, Chicago and now Geneva—and solidifies its status as a fan-engaging event.
Asked if Laver Cup could be staged in China, Federer’s reply suggested a long-term vision.
“I'm sure they are looking into it where it's going to go for the next decade or so. Sure, why not?” Federer said. “China has been a good place for us players. You know, the tournament in Shanghai and Beijing have been big. It's growing there, as well, with other tournaments there coming now.
“Yeah, I'd be happy to see the Laver Cup go into China at one stage. I'm sure there are other countries and cities that really also would like it in the future, and I'd just like it to be in a place that gets really super excited about hosting the Laver Cup like Prague, Chicago, and now also Geneva has shown, so hopefully that would be the same in China if it ever goes there.”
Fast Format, Lasting History
It’s ironic that Laver Cup has been successful honoring history despite having little history of its own.
Davis Cup, one of the world’s longest-running international team sporting events, has been criticized for ravaging its own history unveiling its new format.
Laver Cup’s unique scoring system spikes escalating drama with each win worth one point on Friday, two points on Saturday and three points on Sunday.
Its success could usher tennis into the era of multiple team competitions.
"Davis Cup was an important part of my life and career, a chance to represent your country," captain McEnroe said. "This is more like the Ryder Cup, obviously. Thhey should both be able to succeed. We do have a third one.
"To me, personally, seems like we sort of went from Davis Cup, which was on life support, to this radical change, finally took place after way too long. The Laver Cup was a big success. Now they have ATP Cup. So we have three of them when it almost seemed like there was none. So it seems like something's going to shake out."
The first team to earn 13 points out of a possible 24 points wins the Laver Cup.
The scoring system ensures competition is still live on the final day of play, influences each captain’s strategy selecting a daily line-up and means stars square off at critical stages.
That diminishes the prospect of "dead" matches on the final day of play and infuses each match with meaning.