The 2024 Laver Cup in Berlin will mark the end of the latest chapter in the long-standing rivalry between two legendary tennis professionals.
Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe will captain Team Europe and Team World for one last time in the tournament known as the ‘Ryder Cup of tennis’ later this month.
Yannick Noah has been confirmed as Borg’s replacement for 2025, while Andre Agassi will take over from McEnroe for the next edition.
Fans will be clamouring to find Laver Cup tickets in the run-up to this year’s event, given the strength of the teams assembled by Borg and McEnroe.
Borg holds a 4-2 lead over his old adversary and will be eager to round off his involvement in the Laver Cup with another victory.
Read on as we look at the dates, teams and format for the competition before previewing what promises to be a thrilling showcase of top-class tennis.
Laver Cup 2024 Dates
The seventh edition of the Laver Cup will be held at the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany, from September 20-22, 2024.
Laver Cup 2024 Format
The Laver features two teams of six players representing Europe and the Rest of the World. Three of the six players qualify based on their ATP singles ranking following the French Open.
Each of the captains then picks another three players to complete the teams before the start of the United States Open.
The event features 12 matches – nine singles and three doubles. Each victory on Day 1 is worth one point, on Day 2 two points and on Day 3 three points. The first team to claim 13 points wins.
There are three singles matches on each of the first two days, and all six team players will play one of those matches. At least four of the six team members take part in doubles.
All Laver Cup matches start as two sets, with a 10-point ‘match tiebreak’ played if the match is level at one set all.
If the teams are tied at 12 points each on Day 3, a fifth match known as ‘The Decider’ is played to determine the winner of the tournament.
Laver Cup 2024 Teams
The teams for the 2024 Laver Cup are as follows:
- Team Europe: Alexander Zverev (Germany), Carlos Alcaraz (Spain), Daniil Medvedev (Russia), Casper Ruud (Norway), Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece), Rafael Nadal (Spain).
- Team World: Taylor Fritz (United States), Frances Tiafoe (United States), Ben Shelton (United States), Alejandro Tabilo (Chile), Francisco Cerundolo (Argentina), Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Laver Cup Results
The previous results in the Laver Cup are as follows:
- 2017 – Team Europe defeated Team World 15–9
- 2018 – Team Europe defeated Team World 13–8
- 2019 – Team Europe defeated Team World 13−11
- 2020 – Not played
- 2021 – Team Europe defeated Team World 14-1
- 2022 – Team World defeated Team Europe 13-8
- 2023 – Team World defeated Team Europe 13-2
Laver Cup 2024 Preview
Predicting a winner of the Laver Cup is no easy task, with the escalating points format ensuring that teamwork and strategy play a vital role in the outcome.
Team Europe claimed victory in each of the first four editions of the Laver Cup, but Team World have bounced back to the last two.
Their 13-2 win in 2023 highlighted how a well-balanced team can come together to emerge victorious in this innovative format.
Alvarez will play a key role in helping Team Europe win the Laver Cup for the fifth time, having taken his career Grand Slam tally to four this season.
Zverev will also be eager to make his mark, having racked up an impressive 8-3 record in four previous appearances in the competition.
He has never been on the losing side, and his return to the European team is a significant boost to their hopes of regaining the title.
Tsitsipas is also likely to be an important part of Team Europe’s bid to win the Laver Cup, particularly in the singles matches.
He boasts a 3-1 record in singles over three previous editions of the competition and will use his experience to guide younger team members in Berlin.
The Greek star believes ‘passion, consistency and attitude’ are key elements to success and says playing under Borg is something he cherishes.
“It’s probably one of the coolest experiences of my life,” Tsitsipas said. “He’s literally a living legend. And to have him on the bench, the guy does provide support and coaches from time to time.
“It was something very soothing and something very refreshing to have by our side. So, I’m grateful that he was able to lead us in his ways and to provide wisdom and knowledge within the sport.”
Taylor Fritz has established himself as a key part of Team World in the last couple of editions and is expected to be a key performer this time around.
However, the team’s engine may be world number 17 Ben Shelton, who boasts an unblemished 3-0 record in Laver Cup matches.
He was excellent in Team World’s 13-2 demolition of their European counterparts in 2023, winning his singles and two doubles matches to contribute six points to their tally.
Shelton says he drew plenty of inspiration from McEnroe, whose unyielding will to win has helped his team claim victory in the last two editions of the Laver Cup.
He is eager to crown McEnroe’s final appearance as captain with another win and says he will be doing his best to motivate his teammates in Berlin.
“I’m also good at encouraging people – I think I have a little bit of value to add to the team, even if I’m not playing on the court,” Shelton said.
“There were a couple of moments throughout the tournament in Vancouver last year where one of our guys, whether it was me or Taylor, played a crazy point, came up with the crazy shot and all of us were just standing up, going nuts.
“I think that’s the Laver Cup energy for the guys who are sitting on the sidelines, and those were the moments that kind of made Laver Cup for me.”
