Roger Federer has revealed that he is ‘pumped up’ for the upcoming Laver Cup, and has admitted that he is not entirely neutral whilst watching on from the sidelines as he still feels that part of him is ‘Team Europe’. The Swiss star will be hoping to see the team get off on the right foot on Friday, though they will be without Stefano Tsitsipas after he withdrew through injury.
Federer bowed out in emotional style at the 2022 edition of the Laver Cup, and the competition is still something that he holds close to his heart given that he helped create the tournament after developing the idea with his agent Tony Godsick.
The Swiss star has already touched down in Vancouver ahead of this year’s competition, and he has high expectations despite Team Europe having to contend with several injury concerns. He explained: “I’m very happy and pumped up to be here. It’s going to be short and sweet, three full days, action-packed.
“I get very excited about Laver Cup doubles because there are usually teams that we haven’t seen in the past so I would like to maybe see [Hubert] Hurkacz and [Andrey] Rublev play together. On the World side, there are tons of doubles teams with Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz … I just like superstar combinations.”
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Asked about who he will be cheering on from the crowd, Federer continued: “There’s something in me that’s Team Europe. “I’m happy if World wins, don’t get me wrong — but somehow, I can feel it deep inside, I want Europe to win. Maybe one day, I’ll be the Captain of the team. There are no plans as of now, but I think that could be quite nice.”
If Team Europe are to prove victorious over the course of the three-day competition then all of their stars must step up to the mark. Following Holger Rune’s withdrawal from the competition recently, world No 5 Tsitsipas has also been forced to rule himself out.
The Greek star has endured a tricky summer and his recent injury with disappointing displays in Toronto, Cincinnati and at the US Open.
Arthur Fils, 19, has therefore been called up to the team, linking up with Casper Ruud, Hubert Hurkacz, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Gael Monfils in Vancouver.
Although the team is short of standout stars, the prospect of reclaiming the trophy following Team World’s success last year will be playing on the minds of everyone involved.
