Laver Cup to be held annually starting in 2020

Due to popular demand, the Laver Cup, an international team event that pits six of the top male tennis players from Europe against six of their counterparts from the rest of the world, will return to the international tennis calendar every year starting in 2020.

The Laver Cup originally debuted to sell-out crowds in Prague, Czech Republic, last year. This year's event will take place in Chicago, with a European venue for 2019 to be revealed in the weeks to come.

The appeal of the Laver Cup in Prague and Chicago has prompted the decision to also stage the event in 2020.

“On the back of Prague, strong player interest and the amazing public and commercial response for this year’s event in Chicago, we feel the time is right to publicly map out our next phase of growth,” Laver Cup Managing Director Steve Zacks said. “We initially scheduled the event for three consecutive years with the Olympic year off. But the strong demand compels us to build on the great momentum the Laver Cup has created by holding the event every year.  

“The intense competition, great team chemistry, the black court, unique scoring system, innovative broadcast and superb fan experience all contributed to a benchmark we aim to exceed in Chicago and each year thereafter. There is no reason to take a year off.”

The Laver Cup is a three-day tournament named in honor of Australian tennis legend Rod Laver, the only man to win two calendar-year Grand Slams and one of the greatest players of all time. The event showcases tennis superstars competing on the same team, playing singles, pairing up in doubles and cheering each other on from the sidelines.  

Björn Borg is captain of Team Europe, and John McEnroe is captain of Team World, with Thomas Enqvist and Patrick McEnroe serving as vice captains of Team Europe and Team World, respectively.

The inaugural Laver Cup was held in Prague in September 2017, with Team Europe defeating Team World, 15-9.

The location of the Laver Cup will rotate between major cities in Europe and the rest of the world each year. The 2018 edition of the event will take place at the United Center in Chicago, from Sept. 21-23

The Laver Cup is a joint initiative between TEAM8, Tennis Australia, the USTA and Jorge Paulo Lemann and is supported by Founding Partner Rolex and Global Sponsors JPMorgan and Mercedes-Benz.

Sponsorship support has included founding partner Rolex, global sponsors Mercedes-Benz and JPMorgan Chase, and global suppliers Moet & Chandon and Wilson, all signing on since 2017. NetJets has joined as a global supplier for 2018, and Grey Poupon has signed on as event sponsor.