hero-image

Laver Cup: 5 most successful players in the competition's history

Team Europe celebrate their third Laver Cup triumph in Geneva
Team Europe celebrate their third Laver Cup triumph in Geneva

The Laver Cup is a three-day annual team tennis competition. Purported to be tennis' equivalent to golf's Ryder Cup, it pits the six best players from Europe against their six best counterparts from the rest of the world on indoor hardcourt in a European or 'World' city every alternate year.

Roger Federer conceived the idea of such a competition in 2016 to commemorate the achievements and legacy of Rod Laver, the only player in the Open Era to win the calendar Grand Slam (1969).

The Laver Cup features three singles and one doubles match on each of the three days of the competition. All the matches are three-set affairs, with a match tiebreak (first to ten points with a difference of two) employed instead of a conventional third set.

Each of the six players is obliged to play at least one singles match, with no player playing more than two matches. Four of the six players need to feature in doubles action.

Designed in a format such that the tie stays alive till the final day of action, wins on the opening day carry one point, wins on the second day carry two points and wins on the third day are worth three points.

The first two days are played across two sessions, featuring two singles matches in the day session and one singles and one doubles match in the evening session. The third day kicks off with a doubles match, followed by not more than three singles matches until the tie stays alive. The first team to get to 13 points (or more) ends the tie, thereby eliminating the prospect of any 'dead rubber'.

If the scores between the two teams are level at 12 points apiece after 12 matches across three days, a single-set doubles match featuring a conventional tiebreak comes into play to decide the winner.

Prague hosted the inaugural edition of the Laver Cup in 2017 where Team Europe beat Team World 15-9. The second edition of the competition was in Chicago in 2018 where Europe defended their title by a 13-8 scoreline. Back in Europe for the third edition, Geneva witnessed Team Europe beat Team World 13-11 to win their third title on the trot in as many editions of the tournament.

Across the three editions of the Laver Cup, 22 players have graced the competition. Team Europe has featured 12 players from as many European nations while 10 players from 5 non-European countries have featured for Team World.

Here are the 5 most successful players in the Laver Cup's three-year history.

#5 Nick Kyrgios (Team World)

Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios

Having featured in all three editions of the Laver Cup, Nick Kyrgios is one of eight players with multiple match wins (singles or doubles) in the competition.

Kyrgios made his Laver Cup debut in 2017 by teaming up with Jack Sock in a doubles match. The duo of Kyrgios and Sock beat the Team Europe combine of Tomas Berdych and Rafael Nadal in a match tiebreak to register Team World's first-ever match win in the competition.

On the second day in Prague, Kyrgios recovered from the loss of the opening set to down Berdych in a match tiebreak as Team World reduced their deficit to 3-7. It was Kyrgios and Team World's second match win in the competition in as many days.

Kyrgios is consoled by teammates after a close defeat to Federer
Kyrgios is consoled by teammates after a close defeat to Federer

After John Isner beat Nadal on the third day, Kyrgios faced Roger Federer with victory ensuring the tournament would be decided by a one-set doubles shootout. Kyrgios rued squandering a 6-2 lead and a match point in the match tiebreak as Federer closed out a thrilling 4-6 7-6(6) [11-9] win to deliver Team Europe's first Laver Cup title.

In the second edition of the Laver Cup in Chicago, Kyrgios faced Federer in a rematch of the pair's epic clash from a year ago. But the match didn't live up to its billing as Federer dropped only five games to inflict a second defeat on Kyrgios in as many matches at the competition. Later in the day, Kyrgios combined with Jack Sock to beat David Goffin and Grigor Dimitrov as Team World went into the third day with a 5-7 deficit.

Kyrgios returned to Geneva for his third Laver Cup where he took a set off Federer before succumbing in a match tiebreak, for his third loss in as many matches against the Swiss maestro. The Australian turned up for double duty, when he paired with good friend Sock to beat Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas in a match tiebreak for the pair's third win in as many matches in the competition.

Kyrgios, though, failed to improve on his 4-3 record in all matches at the Laver Cup as he withdrew from his matches on the final day owing to an injury.

You may also like