The seventh iteration of the Laver Cup will take place this weekend at Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany. It’s basically tennis’ version of golf’s Ryder Cup, except the prestige isn’t quite there yet since the Laver Cup has only been around since 2017 – and it’s Europe against the rest of the world, not Europe against the United States.
While it may lack the intensity of the Ryder Cup, tennis’ team competition is a fun event that generally attracts top players. Roger Federer retired at the Laver Cup in 2022, playing a final doubles match with Rafael Nadal. Novak Djokovic has also been an occasional participant, while Andy Murray played in 2022.
The 2024 installment will feature Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and recent U.S. Open sensations Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe. Let’s break down the top players and discuss the best bet to make.
Alcaraz Set For Laver Cup Debut
Alcaraz, the No. 3 player in the world, is suiting up at the Laver Cup for the first time in his career.
The 21-year-old Spaniard won both the French Open and Wimbledon this season, but he lost to Djokovic in the gold-medal match at the Paris Olympics and has not been the same since that result.
Alcaraz was upset by Botic van de Zandschulp in round two of the U.S. Open.
Medvedev Hopes To Lift Standards
Although Medvedev has not exactly played bad tennis in 2024, it has been a disappointment by his standards.
The world No. 5 has not won a single tournament and he exited each of the last three Grand Slams prior to the final after finishing runner-up to Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open.
Medvedev has made one Laver Cup appearance, compiling a 1-0 record at the 2021 event in Boston.
Tiafoe To Build On US Form
Tiafoe caught fire this summer. He pushed Alcaraz to five sets at Wimbledon, was runner-up in Cincinnati and reached the U.S. Open semifinals.
Tiafoe absolutely loves this kind of team atmosphere and he will be making his fifth Laver Cup start. The 16th-ranked American boasts a 5-3 lifetime record, including 3-0 in doubles (beat Federer and Nadal in the Swiss’ final match two years ago).
Conclusion: Team World has good value as underdog
Europe’s top three players are ranked ahead of the World’s top man (Fritz, the recent U.S. Open runner-up) and the entirety of Europe’s six-man roster is ranked ahead of the World’s No. 2 (Tiafoe). As such, the World will be priced as a significant underdog.
Despite those rankings, the underdogs have a good chance to win. Fritz and Tiafoe are in great form, Alejandro Tabilo and Thanasi Kokkinakis are also playing well and Ben Shelton’s style of play works perfectly on an indoor hard court.
As for Team Europe, Alcaraz seems to be burned out mentally and physically following the Paris Olympics; Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas are much better on clay than they are on indoor hard courts.
The World has won the Laver Cup twice in a row after losing the first four versions. Don’t be shocked if captain John McEnroe’s squad makes it three straight.
