LONDON, June 29, 2017 (Press Release)

Three of the greats of tennis, past and present, unveiled Thursday the newest trophy in world tennis, the Laver Cup. Rod Laver, Roger Federer and John McEnroe gathered in London to reveal the new silverware which literally includes a part of tennis history.

Laver Cup (photo: Ben Solomon/Laver Cup)

The handcrafted Laver Cup trophy has been constructed to celebrate the Australian’s legendary career. It includes molten metal from one of his first individual professional trophies and features design elements that honor Laver’s unrivaled tennis achievements.

Laver remains the only player to complete two calendar-year Grand Slams, and as a winner of 200 career titles in total, is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.

Roger Federer, who will headline Team Europe alongside Rafael Nadal, said the Laver Cup would stand apart in his prolific trophy collection.

“Competing for the Laver Cup will be something truly special,” said Federer, a winner of 18 Grand Slams among 92 career titles.

“When you win a title that the great Rod Laver also won, it’s wonderful to know that you’ve shared in those same experiences and that same legacy.

“But the Laver Cup is even more magical. It would be a tremendous privilege to lift a trophy that features a real part of Rod’s incredible history.

Laver is humbled at the detail with which his career has been symbolized.

“Every win, of course, had its significance during my career but to see them represented collectively so beautifully all these years later is extremely special,” he said.

“I’m thrilled that the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Milos Raonic will compete for such a beautiful trophy in my honor.

“When I look at the Laver Cup, I am so proud to have my name on it.”

Federer, a driving force in the creation of the unique team event, added the Laver Cup is a fitting tribute to a true tennis hero.

“For me, Rod Laver is the greatest player of all time,“ Federer said. “I’m thrilled that the Laver Cup creates a legacy that future generations can also cherish.”

Laver Cup Trophy FAST FACTS

 Hand-crafted from solid sterling silver to suggest the shape of a rocket, reflecting Rod Laver’s nickname
 Molten metal from part of Rod Laver’s New England Merchant Bank Trophy from the US Pro Tennis Championships has been incorporated into the Laver Cup
 Curved arms come together signifying rivals becoming teammates
 200 notches on the rim represent Rod Laver’s career tennis titles
 Two sets of four rings on the base represent Rod Laver’s Grand Slams, in 1962 and 1969
 Production of the trophy took more than 400 hours
 The Laver Cup stands 26in/66cm tall and weighs 31lb/14kg
 Conceptualized by renowned London agency Designwerk
 Handcrafted by silversmiths at Thomas Lyte, a company associated with some of the world’s greatest sporting trophies, including the Ryder Cup and football’s FA Cup.

Thiem Joins Team Europe

World number eight Dominic Thiem is the latest star to pledge allegiance to Team Europe for the first edition.

Laver Cup (photo: Ben Solomon/Laver Cup)

The 23-year-old is currently enjoying a rich vein of form, most notably as the only player to defeat Rafael Nadal on clay this season. It was a case of ‘third time lucky’ for Thiem, who lost to the Spanish King of Clay in the finals of both Madrid and Barcelona, before managing a straight-sets win in the quarterfinals at Rome.

Thiem followed that performance with his first career win over Novak Djokovic, the defending champion, at Roland Garros. Nadal stopped his run in the semifinals.

“I’ve played Rafa four times just in the past few weeks, and Roger three times last year so it will be an incredible experience to be on the same side of the net as teammates, playing together and cheering each other on. It’s going to be an awesome event,” Thiem said.

Isner Adds Power To Team World

US-American John Isner will bring critical experience, and a booming weapon, as the latest star to commit to the inaugural Laver Cup.

The owner of one of the biggest serves in tennis, Isner joins another power-server, Canadian Milos Raonic, in the line-up for Team World.

It’s another thrilling chapter in a career that has delivered Isner with 10 ATP titles and some stunning records – including a first-round win over Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010, which spanned more than 11 hours and was contested over three days to become the longest match in tennis history.

Isner is excited at the prospect of competing in the unique Laver Cup format and is looking forward to the challenge of taking on the powerhouse European team.

“Any player who appreciates history understands Rod Laver’s legacy, and I’m so proud to play in the first Laver Cup,” said the world No.21 from the United States.