Roger Federer admits he is ambitions to captain Team Europe’s Laver Cup team one day, but for now he is happy with a place on the sidelines as a fan.
The Laver Cup – the brainchild of Federer, former Davis Cup player Jorge Paulo Lemann as well as Tennis Australia – is tennis’ version of the Ryder Cup as the biennial tournament sees Team Europe take on Team World.
Federer played in the first three editions before missing the 2021 tournament because of injury, but he returned in 2022 with the event turning out to be his farewell to tennis as his doubles appearance alongside his great rival and friend Rafael Nadal was his final match in the sport.
Last year he found himself having to play the role of a fan as Team World defeated Team Europe 13−2 to win the title for a second consecutive year.
The sixth edition of the tournament will be staged in Berlin from September 20-22 and Team Europe will once again be captained by the great Bjorn Borg while John McEnroe will lead Team World.
Federer will no doubt be in Germany to support the event, but he admits he has dreams about captaining Team Europe although he believes “an older” tennis great deserves to be the next captain.
In an interview with Süddeutsche Zeitung – and picked up by Tages-Anzaiger – Federer stated: “I see myself as a team captain one day, but I would like to see someone in this position who belongs to the generation after Rod Laver. Someone in the 50 to 65 age group. These guys deserve it first, before it’s my turn.”
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The Laver Cup venues alternate between Europe and the rest of the world and there has been talk that Saudi Arabia could get the hosting rights in future.
The Middle Eastern country is making headway with its plans to invest heavily in tennis despite criticism of sportswashing with many believing they are trying to erase their poor human rights record by hosting major sporting events.
Federer’s agent Tony Godsick admitted that Saudi Arabia will be an option for the tournament in future.
“One day the Laver Cup could be in Saudi Arabia,” he said. “We rotate between European cities and cities in the rest of the world. I expect Saudi Arabia will be part of this discussion at some point in the future.”
As for the country trying to change its reputation with sport, Godsick added: “Sport is a language that everyone speaks. Sport can enable dialogue and change.”