on court MAKING HISTORY
on court MAKING HISTORY Forward-thinking and incredibly popular, the Laver Cup has established itself as a fixture on the global tennis stage in just two years – and the third edition is set to be the best yet By Richard Pagliaro 36 NetJets
on court CLIVE BRUNSKILL/GETTY IMAGES On a black-coloured court in Prague, archrivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal united as blues brothers in a rousing Laver Cup debut. Moments after Federer edged Nick Kyrgios in a pulsating climax to clinch the inaugural 2017 Laver Cup for Team Europe, Nadal leapt into the Swiss superstar’s arms for a heart-felt hug as they were swarmed by blue-clad teammates. It was a stirring scene for champions, fans and sponsors alike, all of whom embraced the Laver Cup at its high-flying start in Prague and again at its successful sequel in Chicago last September. Now excitement is at an alltime high for the third edition of the cup, which will be staged on the signature Laver Cup black court at the Palexpo, Geneva, on 20-22 September, particularly as the ATP and the Laver Cup announced an agreement to make the annual men’s team event an official part of the Tour calendar. It will be the much-awaited scene of Federer’s homecoming – and of the Roger and Rafa reunion. “We talked about how excited he was, and me too, that we’re going to be on the same team again,” Federer says. “The Laver Cup in America was different; Czech Republic was different. I know the Geneva crowd, and I know it’s going to be incredible and different again.” While the Laver Cup incorporates the three-day format of traditional Davis Cup ties and some scoring elements of golf ’s Ryder Cup, it’s a completely unique competition combining tennis tradition 37 NetJets
