Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic arrive in London for epic 2022 Laver Cup

Tennis
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Posted: Sep 21, 2022 | Updated: 1 month ago

21-time Grand Slam singles champion Novak Djokovic and recently retired tennis veteran Roger Federer have arrived in London ahead of the fifth instalment of the Laver Cup which starts later this week.

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Roger Federer was spotted touching down at London City Airport in his private jet on Sunday whereas his long-time rival and Team Europe ally Novak Djokovic arrived on Tuesday afternoon. Other big names in tennis who were spotted include Andy Murray, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Felix Auger-Aliassime. This year’s Indian Wells Masters 1000 champion Taylor Fritz was also seen being driven away in a Laver Cup branded Mercedes-Benz car.

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Conceived by Federer himself, the Laver Cup is a Ryder Cup style tournament that pits top tennis players from Team Europe against players from Team World. This year’s Laver Cup is taking place from 23-25 September at London’s iconic O2 Arena which was once home to the prestigious end of season ATP Tour Finals. Fans who have been lucky enough to secure tickets will be able to watch a number of singles and doubles matches between the two teams as well as some blockbuster pairings like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in one of the doubles matches.

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Federer’s ‘last dance’

The Laver Cup will also be the last chance for players from Team World and Team Europe to play with or against Roger Federer. The Swiss tennis great announced last week that he will retire and say goodbye to tennis after the Laver Cup. The 41-year-old has been dealing with a string of recurring knee injuries since 2020 and despite his best efforts to return to the ATP Tour, Federer felt that now was the time to put down his racquet.

Federer stated: “I know my body’s capacities and limits, and its message to me lately has been clear”. Many ATP Tour players and fans have been referring to the Laver Cup on social media as Federer’s ‘last dance’, that is, their last chance to watch one of the greatest tennis players ever compete in an official and professional tournament.

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The Laver Cup won’t be the first huge tennis event to be held at London’s O2 Arena. The iconic venue has also hosted multiple ATP Tour Finals over the years of which Roger Federer has been a part of. It also turns out that London is one of the Swiss Maestro’s favourite cities, making it an ideal place for his farewell to tennis.

This city has been special to me, maybe the most special place with Wimbledon down the road and here at the O2, having played here and qualified for so many years

– @LaverCup (Twitter)

This year will be the first time that the Laver Cup has been held in London. The event alternates between cities in Europe and the rest of the world each year and has visited some impressive stages including Boston’s TD Garden and Prague’s very own O2 Arena. In 2023, the Laver Cup will return to North America to be held at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver before heading to Berlin in 2024 to be held at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.

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Although the Laver Cup will feature four of tennis’ greatest players, it will also give fans to watch some of the most upcoming talents on the ATP Tour. For example, this years US Open finalist Casper Ruud will join Team Europe and Australian powerhouse Alex De Minaur will make his Laver Cup debut for Team World. The Laver Cup will be an actioned packed three-day event which you won’t want to miss. Those watching in the UK can view the Laver Cup on Eurosport. Have a look below for the full lineup’s for Team Europe and Team World.

Team Europe

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  • Bjorn Borg (Captain)
  • Thomas Enqvist (Vice Captain)
  • Roger Federer
  • Rafael Nadal
  • Andy Murray
  • Novak Djokovic
  • Stefanos Tsitsipas
  • Casper Ruud
  • Matteo Berrettini (alternate)

Team World

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  • John McEnroe (Captain)
  • Patrick McEnroe (Vice Captain)
  • Taylor Fritz
  • Felix Auger-Aliassime
  • Frances Tiafoe
  • Diego Schwartzman
  • Alex De Minaur
  • Jack Sock
  • Tommy Paul (alternate)
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