The Laver Cup gets under way at The O2 today, bringing three days of top-class men’s tennis to Greenwich from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 September.
The ninth edition of the team tournament pits Team Europe, captained by Yannick Noah, against Team World, led by Andre Agassi, in a series of singles and doubles rubbers across three days of day and evening sessions.
Europe’s line-up is headlined by world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, alongside Alexander Zverev (No. 4), Flavio Cobolli (No. 10) and Jakub Mensik. Team World counters with Alex de Minaur (No. 6), Taylor Fritz (No. 8) and Alexander Bublik.
London becomes the first city to stage the tournament twice: The O2 also hosted the fifth edition in 2022, the emotional weekend on which Roger Federer closed out his professional career alongside long-time rival Rafael Nadal.
Zverev, a central figure at that 2022 event, said: “I always love being part of the Laver Cup. The team atmosphere is incredible, and the intensity is unlike anything else we play all year. London is a great tennis city and The O2 is one of the most special stadiums in the world for me and has already delivered some unforgettable moments for this event. I’m excited to return and hopefully we can win the title back for Team Europe.”
Tournament chairman Tony Godsick said demand from London fans made a return an easy call: “The response from London – from fans, partners and players – was truly overwhelming. The appetite to see Laver Cup return was impossible to ignore.”
The weekend promises a festival atmosphere on the Greenwich peninsula, with thousands of tennis fans pouring into the arena across the three days. The capital has shown an appetite for big sporting occasions this month, with 12,000 runners taking part in the first-ever Saucony Run Shoreditch Half earlier in the week.
The tournament’s return also underlines the Greenwich peninsula’s pulling power as a destination for world-class live events, with the riverside venue continuing to draw crowds from across the capital.
Team Europe will hope home support can make the difference as Zverev’s side aims to win the title back, with the famously loud London crowd expected to create a crackling atmosphere under the dome.
