The reason why the Laver Cup cannot be held in South America or Africa

Each edition of the Laver Cup brings questions about the future, but also the feeling that the event is now firmly established in the tennis calendar. It captivates players, enchants fans, and its agile format and various situations guarantee its continuation. But, what can we expect from this tournament in the future?

Many predicted a very short lifespan for the Laver Cup. They believed that the departure of the Big 3 would cause this competition, designed and sponsored by Roger Federer through his agency Team8, with Tony Godsick, the agent and right-hand man of the Swiss, as the mastermind, to collapse. Nine years have passed, and growth has been exponential, although doubts and questions arise about potential innovations in the future.

The aforementioned Godsick and Steve Zacks, the tournament's CEO, held a press conference to address questions from the media and clarify some of these uncertainties and reasonable doubts among those connected to the tennis world.

Why does the Laver Cup succeed among players?

"I heard what Alcaraz said in the press conference, and I think he conveyed it perfectly. This event brings him joy and makes him enjoy tennis even more. Each player participates for different reasons. One of the most important elements is seeing how rivals become teammates. There is no other tennis competition that provides them with an excuse to share a team with players they compete against for 51 weeks a year."

"There is also the opportunity to receive advice from figures like Pat Rafter, Andre Agassi, Yannick Noah, and Tim Henman, or previously John McEnroe and Björn Borg. I think that is another reason. Moreover, we obsess over taking care of every detail and ensuring that the players' experience is extraordinary. That is an idea that comes from Roger."

No introduction necessary 🎾🎸@rogerfederer x @BonJovi #LaverCup #TennisUnrivaled pic.twitter.com/boXUMp8OtL

— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 25, 2026

"Tennis players spend a lot of time traveling and are rarely at home. We wanted to offer them the opportunity to compete in a tournament that is both competitive and fun, where they could bring their friends and family. This morning I saw a table full of a player's family: his son, his grandparents, and more people. I thought that was exactly what we wanted to achieve."

"They also like the competition, the places we've traveled to, and the venues. Many of these players do not get the chance to play in venues like the O2 Arena. Carlos Alcaraz, for instance, is one of the big stars of tennis and already has seven Grand Slam titles, but he had never played here. 

"Next year we will be at the Intuit Dome, and these players will compete in another spectacular venue. That might also be one of the reasons they want to participate. Each one plays for different reasons, but there are two aspects I frequently hear mentioned: the presentation of the event and the camaraderie that develops among the players."

The Laver Cup closes the door to women and other radical format changes

"Why fix something that isn't broken? This is a men's event, but there are already mixed competitions and joint tournaments. We have the United Cup, the Hopman Cup, and World TeamTennis. The mixed format already exists."

"We didn't aim to become the Ryder Cup, although we drew inspiration from it because we saw how rivals transformed into teammates. It works in golf, and they have a hundred years of experience on us. We are gradually approaching our tenth edition."

"We can keep introducing small changes while innovating, but we are not thinking about changing the format or the composition of the teams. There are always aspects that can be improved. We are obsessed with details and providing an extraordinary experience for players, fans, and the media."

"We want to get closer to the ATP circuit, something we have already achieved to some extent. We also want to attract players who have not yet participated and get them to come. We want to present the tennis players in an environment that isn't typically seen in other tournaments. We do not intend to replace what already exists but to bring something different."

Possibilities for seeking new locations and logistical issues

"As we approach our tenth anniversary, we are exploring different options for the future. We want to modernize what we do, maintain interaction with fans, and find locations where there is a need for tennis."

"It is a good time to step back and analyze where we have been and where we want to go as an event, beyond the location. That is what we are doing. The interesting thing is that the project is quite flexible. When we think about what comes after Los Angeles, we have many options on the table, and we are evaluating them."

"When we launched the competition, we said we wanted to travel to places all over the world. We didn’t realize everything we needed in a venue. We were not sports venue experts and had to work with a group that helped us acquire that knowledge."

"It is very difficult to find facilities that have the necessary number of seats and are located in a city or country where our sponsors want to be. Currently, we have 25 sponsors, so there are many voices indicating where and when they would like us to go. There are countless factors we had not anticipated when conceiving the project."

"In any event or project, you have to innovate, change, and adapt. That is what we are doing. We would love to bring the Laver Cup to Africa and South America, but we need to find a covered venue that can host the tournament for a certain period and meets all specifications."

"I have become an expert in lighting. I never thought I would have to learn so much about lights. We wanted to go to certain cities, but in some cases, there was a venue that was either too big or too small. In one case, they told us they would build a new one for us. They did, but it turned out to be too large."

"Then we have to study how to install the specific lights we need to present the Laver Cup the way we want. I don’t mind investing in the event or taking losses, but there comes a point where the costs are so high that you have to admit that, for the moment, it is not viable."

"In various parts of the world, state-of-the-art venues and entertainment spaces are being built. The good news is that we are looking into all of them. We hope to visit other markets at some point, although it is not as simple as we imagined when we created the competition."

It is clear that the Laver Cup has come to stay and has ambitious plans for continued growth. However, the logical desire to bring tennis to many places that do not typically enjoy it is facing severe logistical difficulties. Tony Godsick offered a good reflection on a tournament that, in its 2027 edition, will take place in Los Angeles.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El motivo por el que la Laver Cup no se puede disputar en Sudamérica ni África