Former French Open champion trashes ‘valueless’ Laver Cup as he labels it ‘nothing more than a money grab for players’
Former French Open champion Julien Benneteau criticized Laver Cup's sporting value and said that it only helped players earn good money.
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Roger Federer and Julien Benneteau (via Daily Express/we love tennis)
The seventh edition of the Laver Cup was popular among fans and has constantly witnessed sold-out venues each year. However, former French Open champion Julien Benneteau has criticized the competition for being nothing more than a money grab for players.
The yearly Laver Cup does not give players ranking points but it does pay them better than many ATP competitions. This year, each member of the champions Team Europe earned $250, 000, while Team World players claimed $125,000 each. The tournament was highly advertised by Roger Federer and its co-founder Tony Godsick.
One thing that the tournament organizers have done to keep the event fresh in fans’ minds is rotating the venues. In 2022, it was hosted in London and last year it was held in Vancouver, Canada. This year, it was played in Berlin.
Despite the event’s attraction to fans, Julien Benneteau has expressed an issue with the sporting value of the competition. He opined that the event was nothing more than a chance for players to earn good money.
The Laver Cup has no sporting value because the selection is done at the whim of Federer and (Tony) Godsick, there is no sporting criteria. (Frances) Tiafoe and (Taylor) Fritz are not going to play the Davis Cup in China because there is no money but they are going to play the Laver Cup because they are taking a huge (paycheck). The players are only participating because the check is huge.Julien Benneteau said on the Grandes Gueules du Sport podcast
Carlos Alcaraz was Team Europe’s star player, helping them win its fifth Laver Cup title. The 21-year-old had earlier helped Spain claim a quarterfinal place at the Davis Cup after topping Group B.
Roger Federer reveals intention for the Laver Cup to be played in Asia and South America
Recently, Roger Federer revealed his intention for the Laver Cup to be played in Asia or South America in the future. The tournament will return to the US next year and will take place at the Chase Center in San Francisco after Berlin hosted the 2024 edition.
The event recently extended its partnership with ATP until 2029. However, with the tournament attracting millions of fans each year, Federer has an eye for new fans in 2026.
We have to go to Asia, South America, not just stay in North America. Although this is an individual sport, we all love team competition.Roger Federer said (via Laver Cup)
Additionally, John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg will step down from their duties as captains of Team World and Team Europe, respectively. Andre Agassi and Yannick Noah are set to replace them from the 2025 edition of the Laver Cup.
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Victor Okechukwu
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