Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Andrey Rublev, Gael Monfils, and other tennis players participating in Roger Federer’s brainchild tournament, the Laver Cup, assembled in Vancouver for an official photoshoot ahead of the highly anticipated event.
Team World’s captain and vice captain, John and Patrick McEnroe, and Team Europe’s captain Bjorn Borg and vice captain Thomas Enqvist were also present, alongside tournament namesake Rod Laver.
The players looked dapper in their matching suits, which were paired with red and blue pocket squares as a mark of loyalty to their respective teams. They posed in front of the North Shore Mountains and mingled with their teammates while taking part in various media-day activities.
The 2023 Laver Cup will be the sixth edition of the tournament. It is set to take place at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver from Friday, September 22, to Sunday, September 24.
Following a memorable 2022 edition, which saw Roger Federer draw the curtains on his career while in the company of his biggest rivals, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray, the 2023 edition will welcome a few new faces.
Team Europe will feature Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, Gael Monfils, and Hubert Hurkacz. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Arthur Fils are the latest additions to the team, following Stefanos Tsitsipas and Holger Rune’s injury-related withdrawals.
Americans Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, and Christopher Eubanks (alternate) will represent Team World. Fransisco Cerundolo and Canadians Felix Auger-Aliassime and Milos Raonic (Alternate) will complete the lineup.
"The players go away with loads of information in their backpacks" – Roger Federer on the Laver Cup
Roger Federer, who is in Vancouver for the 2023 Laver Cup, recently highlighted the uniqueness of the event, which allows the best players in the world to team up in a competitive setting.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion said that, over the years, all the participants have gained immense knowledge by competing alongside their colleagues.
“Looking back at all the last editions, they’ve all been sold out, they’ve all been so much fun. What’s been, for me really important, is that the players go away with loads of information in their backpacks," he said as per the Laver Cup website.
Roger Federer also acknowledged the input from the legends of the game, such as John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg.
"They can apply it in their day-to-day practice, their day-to-day life on a tennis court and think back to the Laver Cup that they learned something from the likes of John McEnroe or Bjorn Borg, or speaking to Rafa or me or Novak or Laver," he added.
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