Laver Cup 2025: Future sites, Steph Curry sighting and a chat with John McEnroe
Laver Cup 2025: Future sites, Steph Curry sighting and a chat with John McEnroe originally appeared on The Sporting News
SAN FRANCISCO – Emptying the notebook after an eventful three-day Laver Cup, an event unlike anything else on the tennis calendar. The eighth edition had no shortage of drama, emotion and buildup and carries more momentum into 2026 when it will take over The 02 Arena in London.
Taylor Fritz ended things with a dramatic 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory over Alexander Zverev on Sunday night in the event's final match. Team World took home the cup for the third time in eight years with a 15-9 victory despite being heavy underdogs against a Team Europe team led by Carlos Alcaraz.
MORE: SN's Q and A with Taylor Fritz
Laver Cup to Grand Slam sites?
Laver Cup chairman Tony Godsick discussed future sites for the Laver Cup, and revealed an interesting concept that Roger Federer once discussed. He said it would be interesting to have the four Grand Slam venues host a four-year cycle, with two World sites (US Open, Australian Open) and two Europe sites (French Open, Wimbledon).
Godsick said the facilities are already set up for big tennis events, unlike the multi-use arenas that Laver Cup has been using. And with all four sites now having retractable roofs, weather would not impact the tight, three-day schedule. Rod Laver, of course, won the calendar grand slam in 1962 and 1969, which would make another logical tie-in.
Godsick also raved about the San Francisco experience, and did not dismiss the idea of either making it a permanent ‘World’ home arena or at least a frequent one. Some players have tournaments in Asia the week after the Laver Cup, which makes San Francisco a relatively convenient launch point. Ticket sales were brisk, the arena is cutting edge and the city has a lot to offer.
The Laver Cup is returning to London’s O2 Arena next year, which is where the 2022 Laver Cup was held and featured Roger Federer’s final match. It is the first time it will have returned to a city.
“We obviously can do anything with it,” Godsick said. “We can do whatever we want. We’re building this thing.”
MORE: Inside the rise of the Laver Cup
Steph Curry sighting
There was a jolt of electricity sent through the arena prior to Friday night's Taylor Fritz-Carlos Alcaraz showdown when Steph Curry and Roger Federer strolled onto the court for the coin toss.
After the toss, Curry, Federer and the two players turned for a posed photo at the net, and both teams rushed to get into the photo with the two icons.
"It's pretty sick," Fritz said. "It's pretty hard to not be really just pumped up to play a match when that's the intro to the match. Definitely no shortage of adrenaline for this one."
MORE: Taylor Fritz stuns Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets
Chatting with Johnny Mac
John McEnroe provided the highlight of Thursday night’s Opening Night black-tie gala at the Bill Graham Auditorium (outside of matchbox Twenty Rob Thomas’s four songs) with a touching tribute to 87-year-old Rod Laver. He concisely educated today’s players on how important he was in essentially creating the ‘Open Era’, allowing professional tennis players to compete at all four Grand Slams, and then winning a calendar slam as a pro after doing so as an amateur.
On Friday between sessions, McEnroe sat with a small group of reports and conducted a winding ‘AMA’ session that veered from music to Studio 54, HBO’s Billy Joel documentary, the Laver Cup format, sites and his wife, musician Patty Smyth.
Some highlights:
“When I met my wife, I told her, ‘We should be in a band together.’ She had been in Scandal, sold millions of records and she was touring with Rod Stewart. She had become disillusioned with the music business because it didn’t treat women the same way (as men). Anyway, she says, ‘Yeah, we should go to Wimbledon and play mixed doubles.’ I said, ‘You don’t even play tennis.’ She said, ‘Exactly.’ Thirty years later, we’re still together.”
“(Andre) called me a couple of years ago, and he asked me about (being captain), and I said, ‘Look, you'd be great for it.’ I’ve wanted him to get back involved in tennis. We miss you. We need people like you. So one year, he decided to wait another year and then he seemed ready to do it. He brings his own energy. He's more of an analytics guy, I'm more of an inspirational leader, energy guy. Andre analyzes things, so he's a little different about that. And I think either one can work.”
MORE: Andre Agassi bring familiar fire to Team World
“I know this from my experience, this was never an exhibition. You can win $ 250,000 if you win this, for starters, not to mention the prestige of just being part of the Laver Cup.”
“Some (people) you know, there's an aura about them. Yeah, (Joao Fonseca)’s got it. He has it, but then the expectations have gotten to him. I don't know him. I've only talked to him a few times. He seems like a good kid, and he's got something. I think he’s headed for something great, but he's a couple years away. You can't learn charisma.”
Alex de Minaur answers the call
Australian Alex de Minaur initially turned down a chance to play for Team World after a difficult travel schedule that had him on the road for almost four months. He returned to Australia for a Davis Cup event, so a return trip to the United States was a big ask.
When injuries hit Team World in the form of Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton, plus a de-commitment from Francis Tiafoe, Team World reached out again, and de Minaur decided to come.
He ended up securing five singles points and won two as a doubles combo with Alex Michelsen.
"Without him, we would have seriously struggled," said Team World Vice Captain Pat Rafter. "Singles and doubles, he's offered so much. We saw him today play clutch. We would have been lost without him."
Joao Fonseca does not disappoint
After Carlos Alcaraz and Jannick Sinner, the player generating the most headlines in tennis over the past year has been Brazil’s Joao Fonseca, a teen phenom who captured the imagination of his home country by reaching World Juniors No. 1, turning pro and immediately winning Buenos Aires over local favorite (and future Team World teammate) Francisco Cerundolo. His upset of Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open was electric and raised expectations even further.
Fonseca did not skyrocket into the Top 10 like some predicted, but he has raised his ranking from the 120s to No. 42 and he remains an almost cult-like hero in Brazil.
On Friday night, he became the youngest Laver Cup player, and then the youngest Laver Cup player to win a match, as he dispatched World No. 25 Flavio Cobolli 6-4, 6-3. Fonseca displayed his rocket forehand, an explosive serve and some maturity has to when to rally and when to go for the big shots. He had the backing of the capacity Chase Center crowd and played strong under the bright lights.
“I mean, it's crazy. It's literally a show,” Fonseca said after his match. “You know, it's a great vibe. Being with the team, it's unbelievable. Tennis is an individual game, and being there with our team off court and on court, it's just an unbelievable experience.”
Fonseca did not see any action Saturday or Sunday, but he had to walk away from his first Laver Cup experience brimming with newfound confidence.
MORE: Brazilian phenom Joao Fonseca keeps rising
Doubles is different
Taylor Fritz is ranked No. 5 in the world and is one of the best ball-strikers in the world, according to John McEnroe during a chat with some reporters Friday. He has a big serve, and has learned to move better as his career developed. But he showed Friday night, it is not easy to just add another player to the court and enjoy the same success.
Fritz struggled at times playing tight to the net, an area he rarely finds himself in during a singles match. Alex Michelsen, whose No. 32 singles ranking was ninth best among Laver Cup participants, was clearly the best doubles player of the bunch, displaying outrageous net play and an uncanny ability to backdoor the opponent’s net player down the line.
