Laver serves up a hit with fans
PRAGUE — With a sold-out stadium, compelling matches and a doubles pairing of the world’s top two players, organizers of the inaugural Laver Cup got what they wanted in the three-day event, which wrapped up on Sunday.
In a bold bid to add a new tournament to an already crowded tour calendar, the Laver Cup pitched Europe’s top players against a team from the rest of the world.
From Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer teaming up in doubles to the Swiss superstar clinching the title in a tiebreak in the final match, the organizers served up a threeday event that appealed to both fans and players.
Federer won the inaugural Laver Cup for Team Europe, saving a match point to beat Team World Nick Kyrgios 4-6, 7-6 (8), 11-9 in the weekend’s dramatic final rubber to earn a 15-9 overall victory.
While television viewership figures were not immediately available, the tournament sold out in a few hours with about half the ticket sales coming from a mix of 50 countries outside the Czech Republic, organizers said.
“We had coverage that was equivalent to a Grand Slam,” said tournament managing director Steve Zacks, referring to the number of fans around the world who were able to view the event.
“You can create a tournament but in the end the players themselves have to buy into it as being meaningful and something they want to win.”
Whether the players would treat the event like an exhibition was a question in the leadup, but a series of hardfought games helped create a competitive atmosphere.
Organizers said 83,273 spectators attended the five sessions in Prague’s O2 arena, which has a capacity of around 16,700 for tennis.
“I wasn’t too worried about the matches, to be quite honest,” said Federer, who conceived the idea for the tournament along with his Team8 sports management company.
“I knew they were going to be competitive because we are playing to win. Your level drops if you’re just having hit and giggles, and it’s more fun to play full out and see if you can get something out of yourself.”
Nadal and Federer were joined by Alexander Zverev, Marin Cilic, Dominic Thiem and Tomas Berdych while the world team comprised Sam Querrey, John Isner, Kyrgios, Jack Sock, Denis Shapovalov and Frances Tiafoe.
Ryder Cup of tennis
The organizers, who signed on Rolex, JPMorgan Chase and Mercedes-Benz as key sponsors, see the event as tennis’ answer to golf’s Ryder Cup.
While the matches may have lacked the intensity of a Grand Slam event, the players made clear throughout the week they took the tournament seriously, while boisterous fans helped energize the atmosphere.
“We are here to try our best. I normally don’t practice before an exhibition match,” Nadal said after telling reporters he woke up early for practice sessions.
Aside from appearance fees based on their world ranking, members of the winning team pocketed $250,000 in prize money while the losers got nothing at the tournament named after Australian great Rod Laver.
The teams were captained by Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, whose own rivalry starting in the 1970s featured a contrast in temperament and style that made their matches the kind of mustwatch events that the Laver Cup hoped to showcase.
Organizers also implemented a format to keep the pace of the matches moving and to spark fan interest. A win was worth one point on Friday, two on Saturday and three on Sunday, with the winning team the first to reach 13.
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