By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, February 8, 2024
A home hero aims to bring blue boost to Berlin.
German No. 1 Alexander Zverev and former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev will join Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz on Team Europe for the 2024 Laver Cup at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin September 20-22nd.
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Team Europe captain Bjorn Borg named Medvedev an Zverev to the squad today, joining Alcaraz who will be making his Laver Cup debut in Berlin.
“Team Europe is super motivated to win back the Cup in Berlin,” Borg said. “With Daniil, Sascha and Carlos on my team, I think we have an excellent chance of making that happen.
"The guys have had an incredible start to the year, and this is a really strong first half of our lineup. I’m thrilled to have these champions in the fold for 2024.”
Zverev, who defeated Alcaraz in last month's Australian Open quarterfinals, won the Olympic gold medal for Germany at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Medvedev roared back from a two-set deficit to topple Zverev in the Australian Open semifinals en route to his third AO final.
This will be Zverev's fifth Laver Cup appearance.
The German-born Zverev has played on four Team Europe championship squads and aims to help the blues reclaim the Cup in Berlin.
"I’m so excited about returning to Laver Cup,” said Zverev. “The atmosphere is always electric and for the Laver Cup to be at home in Germany, for me in particular, is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“Team World has won the last two Laver Cups so we are highly motivated to bring the Cup back to Europe and hopefully, with the support of the local fans, we can do it on home soil.”
Hall of Famer John McEnroe has led Team World to two successive Laver Cup championships in London in 2022 and last September when World dominated in Vancouver.
“They want to win this one badly,” McEnroe told the Laver Cup website. “But guess what? So do we. This is going to be one of the biggest showdowns in tennis this year.”
Each team consists of six players, who must all compete in one singles match during the first two days, and no more than two during the three-day competition. At least four of the six players must play doubles. Each match win is worth one point on Friday, two points on Saturday, and three points on Sunday, with the first team to reach 13 points winning the Laver Cup.
Zverev said he's pumped for first ball and to recapture the Cup before home fans.
“Normally we play against each other all year long, so having us come together on the same team, coaching, and helping one another is really unusual," Zverev said. "For a change we’re all chasing the same goal together, we’re trying to win the Laver Cup and I think that alone is very special."
Photo credit: Laver Cup