Rafael Nadal to join Roger Federer in Laver Cup 2019

Geneva: Spaniard Rafael Nadal will team up with perennial rival Roger Federer for the third edition of the Laver Cup in Geneva next year.

The team event featuring the best of Europe against a World team will be taking place for the third time, with Nadal and Federer also teammates in the inaugural match in 2017.

Team Europe non-playing captain Bjorn Borg said having Nadal and Federer was a boost for the September competition.

“It doesn’t get much better for a captain than naming both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the Laver Cup in Geneva,” former world number one Borg said in a statement.

“Bringing together two of the greatest players, and rivals, the sport has ever seen together on one team is very exciting for our sport — and will give us the best possible chance to win the Laver Cup three years in a row.”

Federer and Nadal, first and second in the all-time list of men’s Grand Slam winners with 20 and 16 respectively, won a doubles match together at the Laver Cup in Prague in 2017.

“I think we all underestimated how powerful it would be to see them sitting side by side, coaching each other and cheering each other on,” Borg said.

Swiss Federer, one of the instigators of the event, said having Nadal in the team again after he missed this year’s edition in Chicago due to injury was an exciting prospect.

“We had a lot of fun in Prague and it will be very special for me to team up with him again in Switzerland to try and defend our title,” Federer said.

Next year’s match will take place on a black court inside Geneva’s 17,000-seat Palexpo venue.