Laver Cup 2023 teams analysed and rated: Are Team World favourites for 2023 victory in Vancouver with no ‘Big Four’? – Eurosport

The 2023 Laver Cup starts in Vancouver, Canada this week as Team World look to defend the trophy. John McEnroe’s Team World beat Team Europe 13-8 in London last year to secure their first victory at the fifth attempt.

The 2022 Laver Cup saw Roger Federer retire from tennis alongside great rivals Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, but none of the ‘Big Four’ will be on the court this time around.

Instead, it will be a new cast of players looking to make their mark on the competition, which has been dubbed tennis’ version of the Ryder Cup.

The world No. 6, who is coming off the back of another Grand Slam quarter-final run at the US Open, brings big firepower and shot-making skills to the team.

He went 3-0 on his only previous Laver Cup appearance in 2021 and might need another strong display if Team Europe are going to win back the trophy.

Expect Rublev to be leaned on heavily by Team Europe captain Bjorn Borg over the three days.

This time last year, Casper Ruud was playing the Laver Cup on the back of reaching the US Open final, where he was within a victory of getting to world No. 1.

Ruud has not hit the same level this season, especially on hard courts, where he hasn’t recorded back-to-back wins, mostly recently losing to world No. 67 Zhizhen Zhang in the second round of the US Open.

Ruud showed in 2022 that his game can be successful on hard courts, but can he find that form again this week? Team Europe might need him to do so if they are to win back the trophy.

Hubert Hurkacz will be making his Laver Cup debut in Vancouver.

The world No. 16 twice pushed Carlos Alcaraz to three sets over the summer before an early exit at the US Open against Jack Draper.

Hurkacz’s strength is his huge serve, which has fired down a tour-leading 784 aces this season.

That should give Team Europe some firepower against a powerful-looking Team World.

A late call-up to replace the injured Holger Rune, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has continued to climb the rankings this year, reaching a career high No. 21 in August.

That climb has come on the back of some solid results, including making the quarter-finals of Indian Wells and semi-finals of Cincinnati.

Davidovich Fokina is a high-octane player who should bring plenty of energy to Team Europe.

Gael Monfils appears a very good fit for the Laver Cup environment.

Even at the age of the 37, he continues to captivate crowds with his entertaining brand of tennis and amazing athleticism around the court.

He showed over the summer with wins against Tsitsipas, Alex de Minaur and Cameron Norrie that he still has big shots in his armoury and can compete with the best in the game.

He says he plans to bring “great energy and fun” to the team, and he could provide a bit of an X-factor for Team Europe.

This has been some month for 19-year-old Arthur Fils.

At the US Open he took out 24th seed Tallon Griekspoor to earn his first main-draw win at a Grand Slam, and he followed that up by making his Davis Cup debut for France, pushing Great Britain’s Dan Evans close in a tense match.

Now he gets to make his first Laver Cup appearance following Tsitsipas’ injury withdrawal.

Fils is a talented young player with a big serve and forehand, and should be an exciting watch in Vancouver.

Team Europe form rating: 35/60

World No. 8 Taylor Fritz will be Team World’s highest-ranked player at the Laver Cup.

His fellow American and Laver Cup team-mate Frances Tiafoe describes Fritz as “the most confident guy you’ll ever meet”, while Laver Cup alternative Christopher Eubanks says he is “probably one of the most competitive people” around.

The Laver Cup certainly seems to bring out the best in Fritz.

This will be his fourth appearance, and even though last year was the first time he lifted the trophy, he has a 5-1 win-loss record in singles.

It was Frances Tiafoe who clinched Team World’s first-ever Laver Cup win by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in London last year.

He has been called “electric” by fellow American Tommy Paul and “definitely somebody that you want on your team and not on the other team just because of the energy he brings”.

Not only does Tiafoe have a big personality, but he also has the game to match and on home soil he should be a key player for Team World.

Helping Team World win the Laver Cup would continue a fine year for Tommy Paul.

He’s moved up to No. 13 in the world, from outside the top 30 to start the season, and made the semi-finals at the Australian Open and last 16 of the US Open.

He also took out Carlos Alcaraz on his way to his first ATP 1000 semi-final in Toronto.

Paul was an alternate last year but didn’t feature, and this time around will be looking to make his mark.

If before the US Open there were any questions over Ben Shelton’s place on Team World, those were firmly put to bed with his run to the semi-finals – and don’t think Shelton didn’t notice either.

“You know, when the announcement first came out, I see all these comments on Instagram, ‘oh, oh, why did you take him? Why? Why this guy? There’s so many higher-ranked guys’,” said the 20-year-old at the US Open.

“Coming into the US Open it was like, ‘okay, I really have something to prove’. I wanted to show people that maybe I deserved to be on the team or the people who said that I didn’t, kind of prove them wrong. I had a pretty good run here, and I’m happy that hopefully I was able to prove a few people wrong.”

With his huge serve, big groundstrokes and vibrant personality, there seems little doubt that Shelton will be an exciting addition to Team World.

Team World’s first Laver Cup victory last year owed plenty to Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The Canadian started the final day by winning in the doubles alongside Jack Sock, and he then returned to beat Novak Djokovic in a crucial match.

He went on to enjoy a strong finish to the 2022 season, but he has not continued at the same level this year. Will a return to Laver Cup and working under John McEnroe bring out the best in Auger-Aliassime and help him rediscover his top form?

Francisco Cerundolo is the only non-North American player on Team World.

He’s earned his spot on the back of results like beating Paul in the final of Eastbourne and seeing off Fritz on his way to the last 16 of the French Open.

Although his favourite surface is clay, he has shown over the last year that he can be a threat on all surfaces.

Alternates: Christopher Eubanks, Milos Raonic

Team World form rating: 40/60