Tickets for the 2023 Laver Cup, scheduled for September 22-24, are still on sale at throwaway prices. This is a heavy contrast to last year’s situation, where tickets were priced high and yet got sold out. Last year’s tickets were further sold at inflated rates in secondary markets, with the cheapest ones costing over $1000 on certain websites. The tickets for this year, meanwhile, are less than $10 right now and yet remain unsold.
The absence of the Big 3 is a major possible reason behind this lack of interest in the Laver Cup. Other big names like Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Nick Kyrgios, and Stefanos Tsitsipas are also not participating. The ongoing edition has high-ranked players like Taylor Fritz, Andrey Rublev, and Casper Ruud. But they do not yet possess the star power to attract large crowds.
Laver Cup ticket prices see steep fall from last year
The 2022 Laver Cup saw Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal on the same team for the first and only time. Also playing were Tsitsipas and Andy Murray as the tournament was held in the latter’s home country. This was Federer’s last-ever competitive event, which added a lot of weight to it. With many big names taking to the court and a momentous occasion like an all-time great’s retirement, the demand for tickets skyrocketed.
The most expensive official tickets cost around $600 (£500). However, some tickets were re-sold on second-hand selling websites for whopping amounts. The cheapest ticket on offer was well over $1000, while the most dear ones were mind-bogglingly priced over $400,00 (via Marca). Multiple tickets were sold on these websites for anywhere around $31000 (£26000) to $55000 (£45090).
The scenario in 2023 is a far cry from last year. The cheapest official tickets start from $25 on the official Laver Cup website. However, because of the dwindling interest and lack of demand, the prices have been slashed to less than half. Tickets on other booking websites are available for less than $10 (£7) and still finding no buyers.
The 2023 Laver Cup is lacking some of the biggest names in tennis. Good players are participating, but nobody has the crowd pull of the stars who have graced past editions. Apart from missing some superstars, this edition is also missing the Laver Cup’s best player, Alexander Zverev. The announcement of the two teams did not see a lot of fanfare, receiving a quiet response as fans dreaded a dull tournament in absence of the big names.
Fans react to ticket prices and lack of interest
Tennis fans did not positively respond to the Laver Cup teams this year. Shorn of star names, fans feared a subdued event was on the cards. Team World consists of Felix Auger-Aliassime, Fritz, Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, and Francisco Cerundolo. Team Europe, meanwhile, has Rublev, Ruud, Hubert Hurkacz, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Arthur Fils and Gael Monfils.
The falling ticket prices have not surprised the fans. A lukewarm response was anticipated and it turned out to be true. Fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to the slashed ticket rates. One user said people who bought the tickets at their original rates must be annoyed.
Another user joked the prices will fall further, saying he is waiting for when the organisers start paying fans to attend matches.
More fans reacted online to the ticket pricings.
The Laver Cup has a tough time ahead if top players continue to withdraw from the event. With Federer already retired and Djokovic and Nadal in the final years of their careers, the team tournament cannot rely on them to stay alive. Younger stars need to shoulder the responsibility of keeping the Swiss legend’s brainchild ticking. The organizers have to ensure that the Laver Cup does not die out after the Big 3 bid adieu to tennis.
