The inaugural Laver Cup tennis event that pits a European and World team "against each other" makes its debut in September '17, and top players Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have "committed to playing for Europe," according to Andrew Friedman of TENNIS.com. The competition will "take place annually except in years in which there is a Summer Olympics," and the format pits singles and doubles against each other "over three days." Next year's event takes place at the O2 Arena in Prague. Teams comprise the four "top-ranked European players plus two captain's picks against the same make-up of players from the rest of the world." Björn Borg and John McEnroe will "captain, respectively, the European and World teams for the first three years" (TENNIS.com, 8/24). In N.Y., Harvey Araton notes the Laver Cup, named after HOFer Rod Laver, is the "brainchild of Federer's longtime agent, Tony Godsick." Federer said that he "hoped the Laver Cup would provide a better bonding experience" than the ATP World Tour and the Davis Cup. He also "expressed confidence that the top players -- drawn by the Laver imprimatur -- would make it appointment scheduling despite its coming" after the U.S. Open and an ensuing week of Davis Cup play (N.Y. TIMES, 8/25). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Jason Gay notes the plan is to move the event "around the globe, and there are hopes to add women's tour players as it grows" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/25).
