The 2023 Laver Cup rooster has been confirmed, and it is fair to say tennis fans have offered mixed opinions about the first edition post-Roger Federer's retirement.
While the two teams both boast talented names, some of whom are entrenched in the world's Top 10, the apparent lack of transcendent names has been frowned upon by tennis fans on social media. The early inference is that scheduling has played a big factor.
John McEnroe spoke to the media, where he was quizzed about the tournament's evolution from featuring some marquee names to missing the famous Big Four and even the current top three in the ATP rankings.
McEnroe stated that scheduling is sometimes an issue with players as the Laver Cup is intertwined between a Grand Slam event and a completely different swing, but called for relevant stakeholders to support it.
"It’s been a lot of fun, but it’s got to be supported by everyone in the sport, and I don’t believe it has the total support, whether it’s the ATP — we don’t want to get into the politics of it. Sometimes scheduling is an issue with players, whether they’re going to Asia or whether there’s a Davis Cup."
McEnroe is of the view that the Laver Cup is a special event and should retain its spot in the calendar. He admitted the end goal was always to try and create an equivalent to the Ryder Cup in golf. And while he doesn't see himself playing any role in the next year or two, he noted that the transition could be boosted by the presence of a charismatic young player like Carlos Alcaraz.
"I believe that the Laver Cup should be preserved. My days are numbered; I’ve been doing this for a while. They’re going to get new captains soon, in the next year or two. I hope that the future is bright because I think it’s a great event, and obviously the transition, needing — Alcaraz isn’t going to play this year."
"But having a guy like him would be huge, so it needs to be supported, I believe, by the younger generation, because as you pointed out, you just mentioned the guys that aren’t there, and I think that’s not obviously helping the event."
On paper, Team Europe has by far the stronger team, with four of the world's Top 10 players in their ranks. Team Captain Bjorn Borg will call upon Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Holger Rune, Andrey Rublev, Hubert Hurkacz, and Gael Monfils to spearhead a fresh challenge.
Team World, meanwhile, will look to defend their crown after winning it for the first time since the tournament's inception last season. Team Captain John McEnroe has three of USA's top-ranked players - Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, and Tommy Paul, in addition to Auger-Aliassime, Francisco Cerundolo, and Ben Shelton.
Last year's Laver Cup was the last time Federer graced the courts in a match for the final time. His greatest rivals who formed tennis' iconic quartet of the Big Four were all present in a playing capacity. Federer teamed up with Rafael Nadal to celebrate his retirement in a doubles match.
This year, the Swiss legend will return to the tournament, set to be hosted in Vancouver, Canada, but in a non-playing capacity. As a result of the Big Three missing from the line-up, many tennis fans, but also journalists, were disappointed by this year's edition.
"Laver Cup 2023 teams complete -- by far the weakest edition ever."
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