Laver Cup 2024: 3 players who would have added star-value to the Roger Federer-backed event ft. Novak Djokovic
The 2024 Laver Cup is about to begin from September 20-22. The marquee event takes place between the six best players from Europe who pit their skills against the six best players from the Rest of the World in a unique team-format event.
This year's lineups are stellar as both teams have six of the top 10 players combined. Team Europe will have stars like Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, and Daniil Medvedev while Team World will have American stars like Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe.
However, some players are absent from this year's lineups. Let's look at some players who would have added more shine to the event if they hadn't missed out.
#3. Hubert Hurkacz
Hubert Hurkacz will be a notable miss from Team Europe's lineup this year. The World No. 8 has been in good form this year with a 39-17 record and a title at the Estoril Open. However, the Pole has been struggling with an injury that he sustained in his match against Arthur Fils at Wimbledon.
The Polish player has played only one edition of the Laver Cup, which was in Vancouver last year. Unfortunately, he could not win any of the three matches he played in. In the singles, Hurkacz lost to Frances Tiafoe on Day 2.
In doubles, Hurkacz partnered with Gael Monfils, but the Polish-French duo lost to the team of Ben Shelton and Felix Auger-Aliassime. Hurkacz teamed up with Andrey Rublev again on Day 3, but this time lost to the American pair of Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe.
#2. Jannik Sinner
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner's absence will be a big miss at this year's Laver Cup. The Italian's presence would have gathered more support from the crowds, with the event being held in Europe.
Sinner has been in red-hot form in 2024, losing just five matches and capturing six titles, including the Australian Open and the US Open. On hard courts, the Italian's numbers are even more impressive, as he has lost just two matches on the surface, and five of his six titles have come on the surface.
With Alcaraz making his Laver Cup debut, the event would have gotten even more attention if Sinner made his Laver Cup debut. A potential doubles match featuring the Italian and the Spaniard would have been a blockbuster match.
#1. Novak Djokovic
One of the most high-profile misses of this year's Laver Cup is the former World No. 1 and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. The Serb has been a bit cautious about his schedule this year, focusing more on the Majors and national representation.
Djokovic has played at the Laver Cup twice, in the 2018 and 2022 editions. Even though Team Europe won the event in 2018, the Serb lost both of his matches. After losing to Kevin Anderson in singles, Djokovic paired with Roger Federer in doubles but the two legends lost to the team of Kevin Anderson and Jack Sock.
In 2022, the Serb won his singles match against Frances Tiafoe and partnered with Matteo Berrettini to win against Alex de Minaur and Jack Sock. However, on Day 3, he lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime, which paved the way for Team World to win their maiden Laver Cup title.