The highly anticipated Laver Cup is set to take center stage from September 20-22 in Berlin, where top tennis stars will compete in the thrilling Team Europe vs. Team World showdown. However, this year’s event will be missing three of the biggest names in tennis — Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal.
World No. 1 in men’s singles, Sinner, had previously withdrawn from the competition to focus on other tournaments. Similarly, 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic, often regarded as the greatest player in men’s tennis history, opted out months ago to prioritize other events. Meanwhile, Nadal, recovering from injury and lacking match fitness, also ruled himself out. In a recent interview with Eurosport, Nadal explained, “Right now, I’m not in a position to win anything. I need to do what’s best for the team, and at this moment, other players can help deliver the win.”
Despite these high-profile absences, Team Europe still boasts a stellar lineup. Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, Germany’s Alexander Zverev, Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, Norway’s Casper Ruud, Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov, Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, Italy’s Flavio Cobolli, and Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff will battle it out for European pride.
On the other side, Team World features an equally exciting roster, including America’s Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo, Argentina’s Francisco Cerúndolo, and Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis.
The absence of tennis legends sets the stage for rising stars to shine in what promises to be an electrifying competition.