The 2023 Laver Cup is set to begin soon, only for the second time without Roger Federer. The tournament, formulated by him, was first played in 2017, and he featured in every iteration except 2021. The team event has become a global competition, attracting millions of viewers, even more so after Federer used it as a platform to retire in 2022. He may have hung up his boots, but holds an incredible tournament record that stands even today.
The Laver Cup has seen some of the biggest superstars play with and against each other. The 2022 edition saw the Big 3 of tennis feature on the same team. Doubles combinations that otherwise would never happen, like Roger Federer with Rafael Nadal or Alexander Zverev, have graced the court at the Laver Cup. The Swiss, though, stands tall, pioneering the event.
Roger Federer made most of his 2017 form in Laver Cup
The inaugural edition of the Laver Cup in 2017 saw Federer set a record that continues unchallenged to this date. The tournament’s points system is as follows; wins on Day 1 are worth one point, wins on Day 2 are worth two, and on Day 3, worth three points. The legendary Swiss won a singles and a doubles match on Day 2 and a singles fixture on Day 3. He went unbeaten in three matches and accumulated seven points. This remains the highest tally of points ever accrued by one player in a single edition of the Laver Cup.
Federer downed Sam Querrey 6-4, 6-2 on Day 2 to open his account with two points. He then famously paired up with Nadal to defeat Querrey and Jack Sock 6-4, 1-6, 10-5, bagging two more points.
Finally, in the last match of the tie on Day 3, Roger Federer beat Nick Kyrgios 4–6, 7–6(8-6), 11–9 to win it for Team Europe. This meant he won seven points without dropping any, the best performance in a single edition of the Laver Cup. Andrey Rublev came closest in the 2021 Laver Cup, finishing with a 6-0 tally.
2017 was a comeback year of sorts for Federer. He won the Australian Open and the Wimbledon that year, after having gone almost five years without a Grand Slam title. His last Grand Slam win before 2017 was at the 2012 Wimbledon Championships. He also won three ATP Masters titles for a remarkable renaissance at the age of 36. A record performance in the inaugural edition of a tournament he created was the perfect cherry on top.
Federer names player to watch out for in Laver Cup 2023
Roger Federer was interviewed by the Laver Cup’s official team after he landed in Vancouver, Canada, for the 2023 edition. He mentioned Team World regular Felix Auger-Aliassime. The 23-year-old’s form is on a downward slide as he continues to struggle with injuries, but Federer picked him to have a good tournament. The 20-time Grand Slam winner said he is a big fan of the Canadian, hoping that the Laver Cup marks a turnaround he desperately needs.
“I’m a big fan of his game, I always wish him the best. I hope that the Laver Cup can be again a turnaround for him.”
Playing in front of his home crowd, Auger-Aliassime will look to get back to his best. Federer tipping him out of all other players may sound odd, but he was ranked as high as World No.6. He is one of the biggest names in Team World alongside Taylor Fritz, with no one else on the team ever breaking into the Top 10.
Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton and Francisco Cerundolo complete the team. Auger-Aliassime is definitely one to watch out for as Team World tries to retain their title against a diminished Team Europe as Federer watches on.
