Laver Cup
Photo courtesy of AP Photo / Jim Young (left); AP Photo / Kin Cheung (right)
Created by Roger Federer to honor Rod Laver, The Laver Cup is an international men’s team competition between Team Europe and Team World played two weeks after the US Open.
The Laver Cup is designed to commemorate Laver’s extraordinary career and his profound impact on the game’s growth and ensuing popularity.
When Laver’s name is mentioned, two descriptions immediately follow: the greatest player in history and “The Rocket.” From 1960 to 1962, Laver won 47 titles. In 1962, he won the Grand Slam at just 24 years of age. After winning the Grand Slam in 1962, Laver signed a reported $100,000 contract, ending his amateur career. Laver had five years (1963-67) away from major tournaments, where he compiled a 142-29 record, an 83 percent winning mark. He won 69 tournaments as a pro, 19 coming in 1967. When the Open Era began in 1968, he competed against the best players in the world – amateur and pro – and won five of the first seven majors contested, including his second Grand Slam in 1969 at age 31. After 1969, Laver concentrated on playing World Championship Tennis (WCT). He won 200 matches in his career.
The Laver Cup itself is a unique trophy that reflects Laver’s legendary career and impact. Hand-created using traditional silversmithing techniques, more than 400 hours of intricate artisanship were needed for its completion. It includes molten metal from his 1967 US Pro Tennis Championship trophy, and features design elements that honor Laver’s unrivaled tennis achievements. The trophy is shaped to reflect Laver’s much-loved moniker “Rocket.”
The Laver Cup handles are curved, coming together to signify rivals becoming teammates.
The 200 notches on the rim of the trophy signify Rod Laver’s career titles.
The duplication of four rings at its base representing his Grand Slam sweeps in 1962 and 1969.
The tournament has been held since 2017, with Team Europe, captained by Bjorn Borg, leading the series over Team World, captained by John McEnroe. The top players in the world compete in the tournament, including the Big Three, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic, as well as the next generation of athletes, including Daniil Medvedev, Ben Shelton, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Taylor Fritz. Despite its short history, the Laver Cup has hosted several memorable moments, most notably, the final match of Roger Federer’s Career. In 2022, Federer partnered with Nadal in a doubles match, where they lost to Americans Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe. However, the outcome of the match is often forgotten; whereas the emotional moment as a legend of the game picked up his racquet for the last time as a professional amongst his peers will be remembered for years to come.
