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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)
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.
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.
#4 John Isner (Team World)
One of five players to have played in each of the three editions of the Laver Cup (2017-2019), John Isner, in his competition debut in Prague 2017 conceded a titanic first set 15-17 on a tiebreaker to Dominic Thiem and ended up losing the match in a match tiebreak.
On the third day of action in Prague, Isner teamed up with compatriot Jack Sock to beat the Team Europe combine of Tomáš Berdych and Marin Cilic in two tiebreak sets to reduce Team World's deficit to 6-9. After Sascha Zverev had beaten Sam Querrey in the second match of the day, Isner ensured the tie went the distance by notching up his first-ever win over Rafael Nadal.
In his second appearance at the Laver Cup in 2018, Isner suffered his second singles defeat in the competition in three matches when he went down to Sascha Zverev in a match tiebreak.
On the final day of play in Chicago, Isner and Sock saved two match points to beat Roger Federer and Sascha Zverev, as Team World took the lead (8-7) for the first time in Laver Cup history. The big American, though, failed to build on his team's momentum as he went down to Federer in a 7-6(5) 6-7(6) [7-10] thriller.
Isner opened his third campaign at the Laver Cup in Geneva by beating Zverev in a match tiebreak to improve his singles record at the competition to 2-3. The Isner-Sock duo was at it again as they beat Federer and Stefanos Tsitsipas in a match tiebreak on the final day to put Team World into an 8-7 lead. Following Taylor Fritz's upset of Dominic Thiem, Team World had two bites of the cherry to seal their first title.
Isner, though, fell to Federer 4-6 6-7(3) for his fourth defeat in six singles matches at the Laver Cup. With the defeat, Isner's Laver Cup match win record (singles and doubles) stands at 5-4.
#3 Alexander Zverev (Team Europe)
20-year-old Alexander Zverev, the youngest player to win a match in Laver Cup history, beat Denis Shapovalov in two tiebreak sets to provide Team Europe with a 3-0 lead on the opening day of action in Prague.
With a straight-set victory over Sam Querrey on the third day of action, Zverev notched up his second win in the competition in as many matches as Team Europe went on to win the inaugural edition of the Laver Cup.
In his second appearance in the competition at 2018 Chicago, Zverev beat John Isner in a match tiebreak as Team Europe took a 5-1 lead on away turf. On the final day, the young German, in his first Laver Cup doubles match, teamed up with Roger Federer, only for the duo to squander two match points in a match tiebreak, losing to Jack Sock and John Isner, as Team World took the lead (8-7) for the first time in Laver Cup history.
After Federer's win over Isner reclaimed the lead for Team Europe (10-8), Zverev recovered from the loss of the first set to beat Kevin Anderson in a match tiebreak 6-7(3) 7-5 [10-7] to win the Laver Cup for Team Europe for the second-straight year.
Zverev and Federer combined for the second time in the competition at 2019 Geneva where the pair recovered from an early break against Shapovalov/Sock to take the opening set. They then survived multiple set points en route to a hard-fought straight-set win in the Laver Cup's longest ever doubles match.
Zverev, though, saw his perfect 4-0 singles record in the competition come to an end when he went down to Isner in a match tiebreak.
On a dramatic final day of action in Geneva, Jack Sock and John Isner's win over Roger Federer and Stefanos Tsitsipas coupled with Taylor Fritz's upset victory over Dominic Thiem provided a commanding 11-7 lead to Team World.
Federer's straight-set win over Isner kept the tie alive as Team Europe reduced the deficit to 10-11. Sascha Zverev then completed the comeback, as he beat Milos Raonic in a match tiebreak 6-4 3-6 [10-6] to deliver the knockout punch for a second-consecutive year as Team Europe celebrated their 'three-peat'.
The win improved Zverev's singles record at the Laver Cup to an impressive 5-1 and his overall record in the competition to 6-2.
#2 Jack Sock (Team World)
Jack Sock registered his first match win at the Laver Cup when he teamed up with good friend Nick Kyrgios at 2017 Prague to beat Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych in a match tiebreak. It was also Team World's first match win in the competition.
In his first singles match at the Laver Cup the next day, Sock went down in a match tiebreak to Nadal 4-6 6-3 [9-11]. Sock endured his second defeat of the day in another match tiebreak when the American, with compatriot Sam Querrey, lost to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal 4-6 6-1 [5-10].
On the final day of action in Prague, Sock combined with compatriot John Isner to beat the Team Europe combine of Tomas Berdych and Marin Cilic in two tiebreak sets for his second win in the competition.
Sock made his second Laver Cup appearance on home turf in Chicago where he lost his first match to Kyle Edmund in a match tiebreak. The American, though, turned up for double duty as he teamed with Kevin Anderson to beat Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in a match tiebreak.
On the next day, Sock and Nick Kyrgios registered their second win in as many matches in the Laver Cup by beating David Goffin and Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets. Playing his fourth match of the competition in three days, Sock, along with John Isner, saved two match points in a thrilling 4-6 7-6(2) [11-9] match tiebreak win which handed Team Europe the lead in a Laver Cup tie for the very first time.
The Nebraska native, having dropped to a lowly 210 in the singles rankings in 2019, was chosen to make his third appearance at the Laver Cup owing to his doubles pedigree. But it was in singles where Sock first excelled, as the American beat Fabio Fognini in straight sets to become the lowest-ranked player to win a singles match at the Laver Cup.
Later in the day, Sock and Denis Shapovalov went down in straight sets to Roger Federer and Sascha Zverev. On the second day of the competition, Sock combined with Kyrgios and improved the pair's perfect record at the Laver Cup to 3-0 by beating Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas in a match tiebreak.
On an eventful final day of action in Geneva, when two players (Nadal and Kyrgios) withdrew from the competition due to injuries, Sock became the first player in Laver Cup history to register eight match wins as the American, with compatriot John Isner, beat Federer and Tsitsipas in a match tiebreak to provide an 8-7 lead in the tie to Team World.
The win improved Sock's Laver Cup record to 8-4.
#1 Roger Federer (Team Europe)
Roger Federer, the architect of the Laver Cup, registered his first win at the competition on the second day of matches at Prague 2017 with a straight-set victory over Sam Querrey.
Later in the day, Federer combined with his arch-rival and good friend Rafael Nadal for the very first time, as the illustrious duo beat Sam Querrey and Jack Sock in a match tiebreak to swell Team Europe's lead to 9-3.
On the final day of action in Prague, John Isner and Jack Sock beat Marin Cilic and Tomas Berdych in two tiebreak sets to reduce Team World's deficit in the tie to 6-9. Sascha Zverev defeated Sam Querrey in straight sets to put Team Europe on the cusp of victory.
After Nadal failed to close the deal for Team Europe, Federer saved a match point against Nick Kyrgios en route to a thrilling 4-6 7-6(6) [11-9] win to seal Team Europe's first triumph in the competition.
In the second edition of the Laver Cup in Chicago, Federer suffered his first defeat in the competition when he and Novak Djokovic went down to Kevin Anderson and Jack Sock in a match tiebreak. The Swiss maestro then beat Kyrgios in straight sets for his fourth singles match win at the Laver Cup.
On the final day of matches in Chicago, Federer combined with Sascha Zverev, only for the pair to squander two match points in a 6-4 6-7(2) [9-11] match tiebreak defeat as Team World took the lead in a Laver Cup tie for the first time (8-7).
Federer, though, rebounded impressively from the setback to stall Team World's momentum in an exhilarating 6-7(5) 7-6(2) [10-7] win in a match tiebreak against John Isner before Sascha Zverev sealed Team Europe's second consecutive title with a win over Kevin Anderson.
Making his third appearance at the Laver Cup in the 2019 edition, following a quarterfinal exit at the US Open, Federer teamed up with Zverev on the opening day in Geneva to notch up his second win in four doubles matches in the competition as Team Europe took a 3-1 lead.
On an evenly contested second day, after Zverev lost to Isner, Federer restored Team Europe's lead in the tie with a 6-7(5) 7-5 [10-7] win against Nick Kyrgios in a match tiebreak.
On a dramatic final day of action in Geneva, Team World was jolted by the withdrawal of Rafael Nadal due to injury. Federer, originally scheduled to team up with Nadal, instead turned up with Stefanos Tsitsipas for the doubles tie.
The brand new pairing resulted in Federer's third Laver Cup doubles loss as Jack Sock and John Isner triumphed in a match tiebreak 5-7 6-4 [10-8]. Taylor Fritz's upset win over Dominic Thiem in the next match meant that Team Europe needed to win the last two matches of the tie to retain their title.
Federer did not disappoint his home fans as he beat Isner 6-4 7-6(3) to extend his perfect singles record in the competition to 6-0. In the process, Federer became the second player, along with Sock, to register 8 match wins at the Laver Cup (8-3 record).
For the second year in a row, Sascha Zverev followed up Federer's win over Isner by landing the knockout blow on Team World, as a 6-4 3-6 [10-5] win over Milos Raonic in a match tiebreak confirmed Team Europe's third triumph in the competition.
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