The Laver Cup, co-founded by Roger Federer, was first held in 2017. Its inaugural edition took place from 22 to 24 September at the O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic.
The event was created as a team competition inspired partly by golf’s Ryder Cup. Team Europe faces Team World, with players selected from Europe competing against players representing the rest of the world. Federer worked with his management team and the event’s organizers to establish the tournament as a tribute to Australian tennis legend Rod Laver.
The first edition featured an extraordinary lineup. Federer and Rafael Nadal played for Team Europe alongside Björn Borg’s other selections, while John McEnroe captained Team World. Team Europe won the inaugural contest 15–9, with Federer defeating Nick Kyrgios in the final match.
The Laver Cup is sometimes dated to 2016 because the competition and player announcements were made that year. However, 2016 was the buildup period; the first matches were played in Prague in 2017. The tournament has since become an annual indoor hard-court event, normally rotating between European and non-European host cities.