A black court assembled from 460 separate pieces now sits inside London's O2 Arena, where Team Europe are plotting revenge after last year's 15-9 defeat in San Francisco at the Laver Cup, the annual team competition that pits Europe's best against the Rest of the World. Captained by Yannick Noah and Tim Henman, the European side has been bolstered by seven-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz and two-time champion Alexander Zverev. Henman is bullish about the hosts' chances, insisting that, just as 12 months ago, the team genuinely believes it can win this weekend.
Yet Team World, led by Andre Agassi and Patrick Rafter, have no intention of giving ground. As tournament executive director Steve Zacks points out, the two-set format and the 10-point tie-break frequently strip the favourites of their edge. The venue carries its own history, too: it was at the O2 Arena in 2022 that Roger Federer played the final match of his career, sharing the stage with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. This year's tennis spectacle runs from 25 to 27 September.
