via Getty
WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND – JULY 05: Roger Federer of Switzerland and Andy Roddick of USA pose for photographers after the men’s singles final match against on Day Thirteen of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 5, 2009 in London, England. Federer won 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
via Getty
WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND – JULY 05: Roger Federer of Switzerland and Andy Roddick of USA pose for photographers after the men’s singles final match against on Day Thirteen of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 5, 2009 in London, England. Federer won 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
Roger Federer was ruled out of this year’s Laver Cup due to his knee injury. However, the 20-time Grand Slam champion received a standing ovation in Boston when he appeared at the tournament. Federer last played at Wimbledon 2021, where Hubert Hurkacz beat the former World No. 1 in straight sets.
Alongside Roger Federer, Andy Roddick also made a surprising visit at Laver Cup 2021. Andy Roddick is a former American tennis player who triumphed at the US Open in 2003. The two discussed the potential line-ups of the teams if the Laver Cup had been introduced 20-25 years ago.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Roger Federer and Andy Roddick at Laver Cup 2021
At the Laver Cup 2021, Roger Federer and Andy Roddick enjoyed their time together. The two talked about a variety of topics, including the potential lineups of a Laver Cup if it would have existed 20-25 years ago. “I think I’d have loved the format,” Roddick remarked when Federer asked about the Laver Cup.
What if #LaverCup had existed 20-25 years ago? @andyroddick and @rogerfederer compared notes on lineups and title favorites. pic.twitter.com/MWrOzxYttr
— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 28, 2021
Roddick believes team World would have been a nasty team in 2001, he said, “2001, it would have been Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Gustavo Kuerten, (Pat) Rafter… that would’ve been a nasty team. Maybe, team World’s favorite there.”
Roddick also joked about the lineups from 12 years ago, “I was looking at the list (rankings list) from 2009, and Nikolay Davydenko would have been the fifth player on the team (team Europe) but he was ranked, like, four in the world. I wouldn’t have liked our (team World) chances in 2008, 2009.”
Surely, it would have been exhilarating to see such renowned players compete in a tournament like the Laver Cup.
Team Europe defeated Team World for the fourth time
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Team Europe, lead by Bjorn Borg dominated over Team World, lead by John McEnroe throughout the competition. In the end, Team Europe prevailed against Team World with a scoreline of 14-1. This was the fourth consecutive time that Team Europe lifted the trophy at Laver Cup since the inaugural edition in 2017. Laver Cup was canceled in 2020 due to the Coronavirus.
USA Today via Reuters
Sep 26, 2021; Boston, MA, USA; Team Europe with the Laver Cup. Standing: Thomas Enqvist, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud. Front row: Feliciano Lopez, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, Matteo Berrettini at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Richard Cashin-USA TODAY Sports
After the tournament, Bjorn Borg stated, “I think Laver Cup should have the best players in the world. That’s very important. You can have one junior or whatever, but it should be the best players. That’s what everybody is like.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The sole win for Team World in the Laver Cup 2021 came when John Isner and Denis Shapovalov stunned Alexander Zverev and Matteo Berrettini in the doubles event. Hopefully, Team World can give Team Europe a run for their money in the next editions of the Cup.
