Carlos Alcaraz team-mate named as Roger Federer’s tournament makes return to London | Tennis | Sport

Carlos Alcaraz is set to join forces with Alexander Zverev as the Laver Cup, a Ryder Cup-style team tournament co-created by Roger Federer, returns to London later this year. The team tournament will be staged in The O2 Arena again, four years after Federer said an emotional farewell to the sport, retiring during the Laver Cup with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray by his side.

With three of the Big Four now retired, Alcaraz has ushered in a new generation of Team Europe stars at the Laver Cup. The world No. 1 will make his third successive appearance at the team tournament, while Zverev has been announced as the latest member of the European squad.

It comes weeks after Alcaraz and Zverev battled it out in a gruelling five-set semi-final at the Australian Open, won by the Spaniard. But they will now join forces to take on Team World, which features Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur. Alcaraz and Fritz had already committed to Federer’s event, but Zverev and De Minaur’s participation was confirmed on Wednesday.

Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as a Preferred Source in your Google search settings.

Each team will announce four more members before the Laver Cup gets underway from September 25 to 27. Ahead of his seventh career appearance at the competition, world No. 4 Zverev said: “I always love being part of the Laver Cup. The team atmosphere is incredible, and the intensity is unlike anything else we play all year.

“London is a great tennis city and The O2 is one of the most special stadiums in the world for me and has already delivered some unforgettable moments for this event. I’m excited to return and hopefully we can win the title back for Team Europe.”

De Minaur, who resides in London with fiancee Katie Boulter, said: “Laver Cup is one of the most intense and exciting weeks on the calendar. Playing in London in 2022 was a special moment for our team, and San Francisco showed what this group is capable of. I loved playing under Andre [Agassi] last year and I’m really looking forward to getting back out there in London with him and the team.”

This is the first year in which the Laver Cup is returning to a city and venue it’s already been staged in before. Federer created the tournament with his agent, Tony Godsick, as a way to honour retired tennis legend Rod Laver. The inaugural edition was staged in 2017 in Prague.

The team competition has seen Federer team up with his biggest rivals, Nadal and Djokovic, in doubles. And the 20-time Grand Slam champion played his final match in the doubles with Nadal at the 2022 Laver Cup in London, losing to Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe to send him into retirement.

Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe served as captains of Team Europe and Team World, respectively, for seven years. Last year, Yannick Noah stepped into the role for Europe, while Agassi became World’s captain. Their vice captains are Tim Henman and Pat Rafter.

EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page