Roger Federer’s Laver Cup Could Move to Saudi Arabia As Chairman Drops Big Hint

Published 02/08/2024, 5:34 AM EST

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After a lot of ifs and buts, it finally seems that the Saudi interest is finally paying off. Tennis is going to Saudi Arabia and stars will soon head to the Middle East. In an interesting move, Tony Godsick, who manages the Swiss Maestro, Roger Federer and runs the Laver Cup, talked about taking the tournament to new places.

Talking about the possibility of hosting the Laver Cup in Saudi, he suggested that it can be done one day and that it is not so far. In an interview, the tournament boss, Tom said, “One day the Laver Cup could be held in Saudi Arabia.” This hints at a big and exciting change for the event. Godsick, being a key person in Federer’s team and in charge of the Laver Cup, holds considerable influence.

Looks like he is feeling the wind with his exhibition that takes place 1 month before and which does not offer the same suitcases of dollars to the players. Tom further added, “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. We have not been contacted by them yet, but many in the region have.”

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The Laver Cup alternates between being hosted in Europe and the rest of the world every year, but has only been in North America outside of Europe so far. Last year the tournament was held in Vancouver and will return to Europe later this year in Berlin, Germany.

Since then, the news has started to spread like wildfire while suggesting that the Saudi dream could finally come to a reality. Amid the long interest that the Saudis showed, there was a lot of backlash that they got. The idea of having the Laver Cup in Saudi Arabia is a big deal, opening up new possibilities and showing how tennis is becoming popular worldwide. This could mean a major transformation for the competition, bringing it to more fans around the globe.

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While the Laver Cup is already on the line to go to Saudi Arabia, recent developments suggested that there will be a King’s Slam in Saudi this year and it will be one of the biggest tournaments ever.

Ahead of Roger Federer’s Laver Cup, Saudi will host a ‘King Slam’

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Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are set to headline the ‘6 Kings Slams’ exhibition event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. What sets the event apart is the fact that each player is guaranteed a $1.5 million fee for their participation. The event will have a massive prize pool of $6 million, with the winner taking home a significant share.

In another interview recently, Tom expressed, “Tennis is also not entirely new [to Saudi Arabia] anymore; show [exhibition] events have taken place in the past; the NextGen Finals were recently held there. Sport is a language that everyone speaks. Sport can enable dialogue and change. Tennis is late to the party, I would say.”

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The country is further solidifying its tennis presence by hosting the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah until 2027. Joining Djokovic and Nadal at the 6 Kings Slam event are top talents like Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner, and Holger Rune, adding to the event’s star-studded lineup.

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Thus ahead of the Laver Cup that could be hosted in Saudi, it will host the King’s Slam which will feature some of the best names in the world in action against each other.

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Written by:

Akshat Gaur

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One take at a time

In a world where player rivalries dominate social media conversations, I am someone who prefers to enjoy the skills showcased on the court rather than be involved in feuds over the greatness of players. Right from my early childhood, I have been engrossed by the legendary rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. It turned me into a ?Fedal? fan and eventually, when I graduated from college, this fandom created an interest in covering their exploits on the court.
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