How to watch the 2022 Laver Cup, Federer's final tournament originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
In one week, tennis legend Roger Federer will play in the last tournament of his decorated career.
On Thursday, Sept. 15, the 41-year-old announced he would be retiring after the Laver Cup, which begins next week.
While it would have been a sweet ending if the Swiss said his goodbyes at a Grand Slam as Serena Williams did at the U.S. Open this month, it turns out the Laver Cup holds a special place in the Swiss’ heart. In fact, Federer’s management team, TEAM8, was one of the partners to create the team event in 2017.
It's actually quite apparent that Federer feels right at home at the event, as he holds seven records there and has been a part of the event every year except for 2021.
The 2022 Laver Cup will pit Team Europe, led by tennis legend Bjorn Borg up against Team World, with captain John McEnroe in a three-day team tournament, something the tennis world does not see often.
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Because it will be Federer’s last time competing in a professional tennis tournament and he will be surrounded by other icons of the sport, this is surely a moment you won't want to miss.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2022 Laver Cup and watching Federer one last time:
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What is the Laver Cup?
The Laver Cup is a very unique opportunity for professional tennis players to represent a team, which typically only occurs in doubles play.
The indoor men’s event began in 2017 and is held annually (besides in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
The tournament was created to be like the Ryder Cup, a golf tournament that features the best golfers from the United States playing against the best golfers from Europe.
The Laver Cup is named after Australian tennis legend Rod Laver and has highlighted former rivals as team captains: Bjorn Borg (Team Europe) and John McEnroe (Team World).
The two have led their teams since the tournament's inaugural edition.
Each year, the tournament is held in different cities and it is typically held two weeks after the U.S. Open.
What is the Laver Cup format?
Each year, six European players make up Team Europe while six players from the rest of the world form Team World.
Three players from each team are selected based on their ATP rankings the Monday following the French Open in June while the other three players from each team must be chosen by their captains. These "captain's picks" are chosen at the start of the U.S. Open in August.
The tournament consists of 12 matches – nine singles and three doubles – played over the span of three days. The match format is best-of-three sets with a 10-point tiebreaker played to decide the match in lieu of a third set.
Each win on Day 1 is worth one point, Day 2 is worth two points and Day 3 is three points.
The team that collects 13 points in total wins the tournament.
The only requirement is that each player must play one or two singles matches while at least four players compete in doubles.
How much money does the winning team get?
Each member of the Laver Cup winning team is awarded $250,000 in prize money, but no points are awarded towards men's world rankings.
How do I watch the Laver Cup?
Coverage for the 2022 Laver Cup can be streamed on Tennis Channel or TVA for North American viewers.
For viewers in other regions, a full channel guide can be found here.
What are the Laver Cup teams?
Team Europe
- Casper Ruud
- Rafael Nadal
- Stefanos Tsitsipas
- Novak Djokovic
- Andy Murray
- Roger Federer
- Captain: Bjorn Borg
Team World
- Taylor Fritz
- Felix Auger-Aliassime
- Diego Schwartzman
- Frances Tiafoe
- Alex de Minaur
- Jack Sock
- Captain: John McEnroe
Where is the Laver Cup?
The 2022 Laver Cup will be held at The O2 in London, England.
The multi-purpose indoor arena venue hosts concerts, comedy and entertainment and sporting events for up to 20,000 fans.
When is the Laver Cup?
The 2022 Laver Cup begins Friday, Sep 23 and runs through Sunday, Sep 25.
When does Roger Federer play?
Roger Federer announced he would be playing one last doubles match on Friday before retirement.
Federer and Rafael Nadal will team up for that match and face Americans Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe in some doubles action.
The showdown will be played during England's night session, following the Alex de Minaur - Andy Murray singles match, which is set for 2 p.m. ET.
What records has Roger Federer set at Laver Cup?
When it comes to Laver Cup play, Roger Federer clearly feels right at home.
He currently holds seven records, which are as follows:
- Most singles matches won (6)
- Most total matches won (8)
- Best win percentage (73%)
- Most singles points won (15)
- Most total points won (18)
- Most total matches won in a tournament (undefeated in 2017)
- Most total points won in a tournament (7 points in 2017)
