Federer at the end of the event thanked the Chicago crowds for providing an incredible atmosphereGETTY IMAGES
The second edition of Roger Federer's Laver Cup this weekend provided "riveting and frequently brilliant tennis" in Chicago, with United Center drawing more than 93,000 fans over three days as Team Europe defeated Team World in the "exhibition event in name only," according to Richard Evans of TENNIS.com. Some feared Chicago "might not be able to emulate the success" of the first edition that had "such unexpected impact in Prague." But the second edition was, "if anything, even better." It was "clear Chicago tennis fans had been thirsting for this kind of high-class action." Geneva, Switzerland, "will be next year’s venue and if the success of Prague and Chicago can be repeated," the bidding" for the event "will become ever more intense" (TENNIS.com, 9/24). In Chicago, Teddy Greenstein notes United Center was "retrofitted to accommodate 20,000 fans" for the event. Saturday’s afternoon and evening sessions "drew 19,756 and 19,346 spectators at lofty prices; Sunday’s attracted 19,804." The "five-session total was 93,584." The event was "gripping" and provided "unforgettable stuff." Federer thanked Chicago for "coming out in droves and providing an incredible atmosphere." He said, "This was a great win for tennis and for us at the Laver Cup, and we realize there is a huge appetite in Chicago" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 9/24). Tennis Channel's Brett Haber said, "It is Sunday here in Chicago. The Bears play today, the Cubs and the White Sox play each other today, but there is not a hotter ticket in town than this one” (“Tennis Channel Live,” Tennis Channel, 9/23).
WELCOMED WITH OPEN ARMS: ESPN.com's Peter Bodo noted Federer and Novak Djokovic played doubles together "for the first time" on Friday, which provided a "resonant feel-good story." The two players "were greeted like rock stars by about 20,000 fans when they took the court" (ESPN.com, 9/22). Federer said, “It is beautiful for a lot of the players to play in front of 20,000 people. … I’m enjoying it, we are having the best time and I hope the viewers at home really enjoy it, too.” Tennis Channel’s Jimmy Arias said it is "ridiculous" how well Chicago received the Laver Cup. Arias said, "I heard it was sold out. I didn’t believe it until I saw it, especially on Friday. Most of the time, people work on Fridays, and yet 20,000 strong during the day. They’ve been so into it, so excited.” Tennis Channel’s Lindsay Davenport: “So often you hear they are sold out. We were sitting here at 1:00 on a Friday, and this place was rocking on day one.” Tennis Channel’s Haber said of Chicago, “It’s a city that is in tennis starvation mode. … It is weird that two of the three biggest cities in America right now, L.A. and Chicago, will not have regular tour events. It’s nice to get one here in Chicago” (“Tennis Channel Live,” Tennis Channel, 9/22).
WHAT'S NEXT? In N.Y., Ricardo Phillips wrote the Laver Cup "faces an existential question: What exactly is it, and what will it become?" Is the event a "genuine, competitive fixture on the annual schedule, as Federer insists it already is?" Or, in a sport with a "schedule already bursting at the seams and its players overextended, is it best served as an exhibition at the back end of a grueling calendar to celebrate the game?" What is "clear is that the Laver Cup has pounced on an opportunity in a fallow part of the tennis schedule." Those days just after the U.S. Open are an "exit door for many casual viewers," but the Laver Cup has "offered itself as a stay against the exodus" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/23).
