One of the greatest tennis players and sportsmen in history announced his retirement from professional tennis a week ago, and the time has now come for Roger Federer's last professional tennis match.
The Laver Cup is a team competition that was originally created by Roger Federer and his management team 'Team8.' This year's event is being played at the O2 Arena in London.
Team Europe, comprised of all-time greats such as Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and current top players Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Matteo Berrettini will compete against Team World, individuals from any non-European country.
The team consists of US Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Taylor Fritz, among others.
Federer will compete in the final match of the first day, a doubles match that pairs him with Rafael Nadal against Jack Sock and Tiafoe.
Laver Cup matches are split into three days, with the tournament schedule as follows.
| Day | Matches | Points Per Match |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 Singles | 1 Doubles | 1 |
| 2 | 3 Singles | 1 Doubles | 2 |
| 3 | 3 Singles | 1 Doubles | 3 |
The tournament works with a point scoring format, as each team picks up a certain amount of points for a match win, varying by the day.
Team Europe has won all four prior iterations of the Laver Cup.
How to Watch the Laver Cup
If you're in the United States, the Tennis Channel will be broadcasting each match at the Laver Cup.
Federer's Friday night doubles match will be aired around 4:30 p.m. ET. It will be preceded by a 2 p.m. ET singles match between Andy Murray and Alex de Minaur.
For those outside of the United States, a full broadcasting list can be found here.
Laver Cup Odds
After winning the four prior editions of the Laver Cup, with just one of those events being won by a two-point or fewer margin, Team Europe comes into the event as a massive favorite.
Team Europe is -450 to win the Laver Cup while Team World is +330 at DraftKings.
Last year, Team Europe won the event 14-1, with Team World winning just a single match.
In the Federer/Nadal vs. Tiafoe/Sock doubles match, the all-time greats are currently -150 while the Americans are +130.
Laver Cup Past Winners
| Year | Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 15-9 | Europe |
| 2018 | 13-8 | Europe |
| 2019 | 13-11 | Europe |
| 2020* | Cancelled due to COVID-19 | N/A |
| 2021 | 14-1 | Europe |
