Retiring star to end unforgettable 24-year career; Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, and Jack Sock make up half of Team World roster; Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray anchor Team Europe. As team captains, John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg renew their storied rivalry.
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20, 2022 –This weekend, when Roger Federer, one of the greatest players of all time, finishes a 24-year career for the ages, the 2022 Laver Cup will be shown live in the United States on Tennis Channel. The Swiss icon said last week that he would retire after this weekend’s competition, an annual all-star matchup pitting the top athletes from Europe against the rest of the world. The legend hasn’t played since Wimbledon in 2021 due to injury. On Friday, September 23, at 8 a.m. ET, the network will broadcast live the opening Laver Cup match (complete schedule below).
This year, Federer will be joined by Andy Murray from Great Britain, Rafael Nadal from Spain, and Novak Djokovic from Serbia on Team Europe. Half of the players on Team World are Americans, including Jack Sock, Taylor Fritz, and Frances Tiafoe.
Many people believe that Federer is the best and most talented tennis player who has ever played. After claiming his first major victory at Wimbledon in 2003, he went on to shatter records, breaking Pete Sampras’ previous high of 14 major victories to become the first person to win 20 major titles in 2018. He won 11 majors between 2004 and 2007 because to his overwhelming dominance. In addition, Federer amassed circuit victories following victories, becoming second only to Jimmy Connors in terms of titles won by men, and he held the No. 1 singles ranking for several years. One of the finest in tennis or any other sport, his longstanding rivalry with Nadal is regarded as one of the best.The two appeared to compete in Sunday championship matches every week on the professional circuit when they were at their best.
Every year since its debut in 2017, Laver Cup has been broadcast live on Tennis Channel (the event was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19). More than 20 live hours and another 20 hours of encore replays will be broadcast on the network. This year, the network’s on-air staff includes Hall of Famers Martina Navratilova (@Martina), Jim Courier, Pam Shriver (@PHShriver), and Andy Roddick (@andyroddick), with Navratilova calling matches and Shriver providing commentary. On the daily studio programme Tennis Channel Live, Courier and Roddick will share their perspectives.
who won the doubles title at the 1996 Australian Open will provide commentary this year, as will current American superstar Reilly Opelka (@ReillyOpelka). Opelka will be joining Tennis Channel’s on-air team for the first time at this time. On the network, matches for the 2022 Laver Cup will also be announced by former player Leif Shiras (@ShirasLeif). This weekend, Tennis Channel Live will be hosted by longtime host Steve Weissman (@SteveWeissman).
Anyone with a Samsung television made in 2017 or after can watch live Laver Cup action on Tennis Channel’s new free ad-supported television (FAST) channel, T2. T2 is accessible on Samsung TV Plus. Additionally, it will be shown on a few regional Bally Sports networks across the nation. The networks are owned by the same company that operates Tennis Channel, Sinclair Broadcast Group.
The Big Four—Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray—have held the majority of Grand Slam singles titles for the previous two decades. They are often known to as the Big Four. In the cases of Nadal (22), Djokovic (21) and Federer, they have dominated the top of the rankings and changed the history of men’s singles major titles (20). The other members of Team Europe are Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece and Casper Ruud of Finland. Casper Ruud made it all the way to the finals of both the US Open and the French Open this year.
Americans Tiafoe and Fritz, who are both in the middle of their careers, will be Team World’s counterpunchers. A few weeks ago, Tiafoe defeated Nadal at the US Open to advance to his first major singles semifinal. Fritz defeated Nadal in the finals of the BNP Paribas Open singles tournament in Indian Wells, California, in March, setting a personal record in the process. Jack Sock, a fellow American, has won mixed doubles gold at the Olympics and doubles crowns at Wimbledon and the US Open.
The legendary John McEnroe will serve as Team World’s captain for the fifth time, and his younger brother Patrick will serve as vice captain. McEnroe will compete against Bjorn Borg, a rival from his playing days who is also in charge of Team Europe for the fifth time. The deputy captain of the Borg, Thomas Enqvist, is also back. He made it to the Australian Open singles final in 1999.
The Laver Cup competition, which yearly alternates between European and non-European host cities, is in its fifth year. All four of the previous meetings were victories for Europe: 15-9 in Prague in 2017, 13-8 in Chicago in 2018, 13-11 in Geneva in 2019, and 14-1 in Boston in September of last year. This year’s Laver Cup will be held at London’s iconic O2 Arena, which has one of the greatest seating capacities in tennis. The indoor venue, which has housed the ATP Tour Finals for men for many years, is renowned for its fervent, enthusiastic tennis crowds.
This weekend, winning the Laver Cup requires 13 points. The distinctive, increasing scoring structure of the competition is ideal for rallies and late comebacks. Each day, there are three singles contests and one doubles match. Each game on Friday is worth one point, followed by two on Saturday and three on Sunday. On Friday and Saturday, there are day and night sessions, and on Sunday, there is just one day session with four matches.