Match Points: Laver Cup needs more Federer, and more top players

Since its inception in 2017, Laver Cup has been a grand success that has captivated fans, wooed players, and served as the backdrop for iconic moments in the sport of tennis.

But the team competition will need to continue to evolve and find new and even better ways to lure spectators – and players – as the torch gets passed from one generation to the next.

In our latest edition of Match Points, host Josh Cohen guides our esteemed panel through a debate and a discussion about what the Laver Cup might look like in the years to come.

More Roger? Never a bad thing…

Marion Bartoli, 2013 Wimbledon champion, believes that the Laver Cup has the ultimate weapon for success: Roger Federer. The Swiss maestro, who co-founded the event, has thrown his weight behind his brain child, and even ended his legendary career at the Laver Cup in London in 2022. With Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray all on hand for that iconic moment, Laver Cup created one of the most memorable moments of the last two decades.

Surely, those emotions will be tough to top, but Laver Cup would be wise to tap into Federer’s star power going forward, says Bartoli. She adds that Roger’s gravitas outshined the 12-player field we saw in action in Vancouver, and added that the 30-minute interview that Federer gave on-court after Day 1 in Vancouver was the highlight of the weekend.

“I was actually watching it on TV,” the Frenchwoman said, “and when Roger gave that interview to Jim Courier, I think it was one of the highlights of the weekend to be honest. Roger coming and talking about his life, that was very interesting. I just think he has so much charisma, he has done so much for the sport. Everyone just loves him to be honest.”

Bartoli thinks that Federer should follow through on his promise and commit to becoming Team Europe’s captain. She believes that fans will love watching Federer interact and give advice to stars of generation next.

“I just feel if you had him in sort of more ways, I agree on the captain side,” she said. “Having him involved being on the bench, listening to his advice, I think everyone would be interested.”

What about the women?

Bartoli adds that Laver Cup needs to expand and bring the women into the fold.

“If you add the girls who are really bringing a lot of attention like Coco [Gauff], Iga [Swiatek] and Ons Jabeur, for example, you’re really bringing some spice back to the table and I think that would be a lot more interesting,” she said. “You need to have several highlights and people you can market in order for you to have a successful event.”

Simon Cambers, like Bartoli, thinks Laver Cup needs to lock up young stars like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune. They are the players who are currently captivating the imagination of the tennis watching public.

“You’ve got to have the best players playing,” Cambers said, “and it’s no surprise and pretty smart of Federer to say I’d love to see Alcaraz and Novak and Medvedev on my team. Yeah, who wouldn’t?

“It is going to be difficult with no Federer playing, with no Nadal and eventually with no Novak,” Cambers adds, when thinking of Laver Cup’s future. “But I think what you’re gonna see is Federer become captain of Team Europe, and maybe, somebody was suggesting Andy Roddick [as captain] for Team World.

“For it to really succeed, unless you expand it to men and women… It needs a bit of Federer’s help to get it through these next few years of transition.”

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