What worries Roger Federer about Team Europe’s Laver Cup chances despite calling them ‘slight favourites’
The Laver Cup is upon us and Team Europe are once again the overwhelming favourites to win the tournament, which this year is hosted at The O2 Arena in London.
Team Europe have three of the ATP Tour’s top 10, including world No 2 Alexander Zverev and world No 3 Carlos Alcaraz, who have claimed three of the four Grand Slam titles this year.
Team World, meanwhile, have no players ranked inside the top 5, with world No 9 Alex de Minaur the highest-ranked player in the squad.
Roger Federer, who set up the Laver Cup, has dubbed Team Europe as the favourites, although he also has slight worries about Zverev and Alcaraz.
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Speaking to Eurosport, Federer said: “I hope home-court advantage will help us. Well, that already shows I’m on Team Europe’s side, doesn’t it? (smiles) Even if you might think I’m biased, even though I’m wearing Team World shoes today, I’ll probably swap them for Team Europe shoes as soon as the competition starts this Friday.
“Looking at the schedule, I get the feeling every match is 50/50. So anything can happen tomorrow (Friday). And then, obviously, the question is what kind of form Carlos and Sascha will be in right from the kickoff.
“People always think it’s normal for them to win, but it’s like the first round. It’s not like the semifinals or the final, where you start hitting the ball beautifully.
“It’s just a battle, and it’s a fast-paced tournament. So you have to get off to a flying start. That’s why I think everything is wide open. Furthermore, indoor tennis complicates things considerably. Doubles is obviously very important. But I would say that Team Europe is the slight favorite.”
Team World began last year’s event at the underdog, but Andre Agassi and Pat Rafter masterminded a victory for the squad in the United States.
The first matches for the 2026 event have been confirmed, with Casper Ruud taking on Francisco Cerundolo, Jakub Mensik facing Brandon Nakashima, and Rafael Jodar vs Alexander Bublik the set singles matches for the first day.
Elsewhere, Carlos Alcaraz and Jakub Mensik will be playing in doubles action, taking on Bublik and Taylor Fritz in the final match on the order of play.
Each match win on day 1 is worth one point, so there is chance for either team to establish a large lead before the final two days of the tournament.
The second day will see players play for two points in each match, while the final day will be three points for a victory.
