Tennis – Fun event Laver Cup? Zverev not just there for the show – Sport

Berlin (dpa) – It doesn’t get much more kitsch than this. The sun was setting behind the Brandenburg Gate and the sky over Berlin was turning orange as Alexander Zverev signed autographs and posed for photos with some of the best tennis players in the world. The organizers of the Laver Cup are using the atmospheric images to advertise themselves in order to get fans around the world in the mood for the team event this weekend in the German capital.

And Zverev was also excited at the thought of being able to play doubles in front of 17,000 fans and alongside the Spanish Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz. “Normally you sit in the locker room and want to beat every opponent and suddenly they are your teammates.” “This is the only tournament in the world where you have five top ten players as your teammates,” said the German. Among those missing are Novak Djokovic and the Italian world number one Jannik Sinner.

Abundant prize money

Although no ATP points can be collected at the show event, which was co-initiated by tennis legend Roger Federer, in addition to appearance fees, which depend on the position in the world rankings, each player on the winning team will receive an additional 250,000 US dollars.

The format is similar to the Ryder Cup in golf: in twelve matches over three days, a European team will face a world selection. To win, a team must score 13 points, with games won on Friday counting for one point, on Saturday two points and on Sunday three points. This should guarantee excitement right up to the end.

Bigger than a show tournament

For critics, the Laver Cup is just a meaningless weekend of fun in an already full tournament calendar, with more prize money than most WTA and ATP tournaments. For the player, it is more. At least that’s what she claimed.

Alcaraz spoke of a serious prestige competition. “We have to represent Europe as well as possible,” the Spaniard made clear. And Zverev also firmly contradicted the critics. “For me, it is not a show tournament. If it were not a serious tournament, we would not train two or three hours a day and prepare the way we do,” he said, justifying his fifth participation and joking: “I’m something of a veteran now, am I not?”

Zverev leaves Davis Cup start open

Around two weeks after the bitter quarter-final exit at the US Open, Zverev is returning to the big stage in front of his home crowd. The team spirit and the feeling of fighting side by side with other rivals for the title make the competition special for the Germans. Zverev had missed his Davis Cup team’s entry into the final round – also a team competition – the previous week. The 27-year-old left open the possibility of starting at the finals in Malaga at the end of November.

First of all, the focus is on the Laver Cup. Up to 17,000 spectators are expected to transform the Uber Arena into a cauldron. The multifunctional hall in the east of Berlin has been spruced up and the dark tennis court looks classy.

Nadal and Djokovic are missing

However, fans will not only have to do without Djokovic and Sinner, but also the still ailing crowd favorite Rafael Nadal. In team captain John McEnroe’s Team World, US Open finalist and Zverev conqueror Taylor Fritz is the most prominent name.

For the 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer, the roles are therefore quite clearly distributed. “I think that Team Europe is very strong, it is very well staffed,” said the Swiss, who was particularly looking forward to Zverev’s performance. “I think it will be a great thing for him, just like it was for me when I played in Geneva, Switzerland.”

© dpa-infocom, dpa:240919-930-236780/2