Casper Ruud is set to participate in his fifth consecutive Laver Cup, representing Team Europe in the 2025 edition held at the Chase Center in San Francisco from September 19 to 21. The world No. 13 has an impressive record at the event, having played four singles matches with three wins and two doubles matches with one victory.

Ruud expressed his enthusiasm about the tournament, saying, “The Laver Cup is incredible, bringing together Europe, with its rich tennis history, to take on the rest of the world. I love representing Europe, and doing my best for the whole continent, not just my country. The team aspect is unique – getting to play alongside guys who are usually my rivals and to support each other is something we don’t experience often.”

He also looks forward to playing under the guidance of captains Yannick Noah and Tim, stating, “I’m also really looking forward to playing in front of Yannick and Tim for the first time – they are a dynamic duo and it’s going to be really cool. And, I’m excited to visit San Francisco for the first time. I’m a big Golden State Warriors fan, so playing in Chase Center will be something special.”

Ruud’s 2025 season has had its ups and downs, with early exits at the Australian Open and French Open, and a withdrawal from Wimbledon due to a knee issue. His standout achievement this year is winning his first Masters 1000 title in Madrid, defeating Jack Draper in the final.

Joining Ruud on Team Europe are Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, and Holger Rune. Team World’s lineup includes Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, and Joao Fonseca, with more players to be announced.

In leadership changes, Jannik Noah replaces Bjorn Borg as Team Europe captain, while Andre Agassi takes over from John McEnroe for Team World. Noah praised Ruud, stating, “Casper is a great competitor who brings experience, passion and composure to the team environment. He understands the spirit of the Laver Cup and is exactly the kind of player you want by your side. I’m delighted he’s back.”

Last year’s intense Laver Cup saw Team Europe narrowly defeat Team World 13-11 in Berlin, clinched by Carlos Alcaraz’s victory over Taylor Fritz.

Roger Federer, co-creator of the Laver Cup, expressed excitement about the event returning to the U.S.: “For the Laver Cup to come back to America is always great. We were in Chicago and Boston, two very successful Laver Cups, and now we’re going to San Francisco. It’s an amazing stadium, where the Golden State Warriors play. From what I’m hearing, ticket sales are going really well, and I think the Bay Area will embrace tennis.”

Federer added, “Berlin was a huge success in Germany. I was there last year and had the best time. I’m sure San Francisco will be equally successful.”

Alexander Zverev, currently ranked world No. 3, is exploring a potential coaching relationship with Toni Nadal, former longtime coach of Rafael Nadal. The German player was recently seen training with Nadal at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, which sparked speculation about an official partnership. However, Toni Nadal has not yet committed to a formal role due to his other commitments.

Zverev described his time in Mallorca as “amazing,” saying, “I spent about 10 days there, and worked really hard and enjoyed it as well. I think Toni enjoyed it probably as well.” He added, “I’m trying to convince him to do more weeks with me, and we’ll see how it goes, but he’s a very busy man. We’re talking about what a potential partnership could look like, for sure, and I can give you an update probably in a few weeks time when we know more. I enjoyed my time there, that’s for sure.”

Throughout his career, Zverev’s coaching has primarily involved his father Alexander Sr. and his older brother Mischa, with brief stints by Ivan Lendl, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and David Ferrer. His coaching situation has faced scrutiny, notably after losing to Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros and following an early exit at Wimbledon.

The prospect of Toni Nadal joining his team, a coach esteemed for guiding Rafael Nadal to 16 Grand Slam titles, has drawn significant interest. However, former WTA world No. 1 Dinara Safina emphasized the importance of Zverev’s openness to change in this collaboration. On a Russian podcast, she said, “It will be exciting to watch. Toni is very straightforward. I do not know how willing Alexander is to change and integrate someone else into his team. We will see. It seems to me that a lot will depend on Alexander in this collaboration, on his willingness to change, listen and try new things. Of course, I wish him all the best.”

Since his Wimbledon exit and time training with Nadal, Zverev has begun his Canadian Open campaign with a 7-6 (8), 6-4 victory over Adam Walton. He is set to face 32nd seed Matteo Arnaldi in round three as the top seed in the tournament.

Former world No. 14 Jerzy Janowicz has expressed a critical view of Iga Swiatek’s victorious Wimbledon run, stating that she “didn’t have a single test” during the tournament. Swiatek, who claimed her first Wimbledon title and sixth Grand Slam overall, lost just one set en route to the championship.

Swiatek’s triumph marked her inaugural grass-court title, following a strong runner-up finish at the WTA 500 event in Bad Homburg the previous week. The highest-ranked opponent she faced at Wimbledon was Amanda Anisimova, then world No. 12, whom Swiatek defeated in a commanding 6-0, 6-0 final, the first ever such scoreline in a Wimbledon final.

Janowicz, a 2013 Wimbledon semi-finalist, voiced skepticism about Swiatek’s abilities on grass in an interview with Polish media outlet Super Express. “I wouldn’t say Iga plays well on grass, because she didn’t really have a single major test at Wimbledon,” he said. He noted the relative weakness of her opponents on grass, describing them as either inexperienced on the surface or performing poorly, which he said left the draw wide open for Swiatek.

Janowicz further commented on the nature of Swiatek’s game under pressure: “It’s hard for me to predict things from my own eyes, because I don’t follow every single match. I’d say that even this victory won’t solve Iga’s typical problems, because Iga usually has problems — let’s even call them mental — when there’s resistance from the other side.” He detailed that these issues emerge when her game plan is disrupted by an opponent’s challenge.

Since retiring from tennis due to injuries, Janowicz has transitioned to competing in Padel. Despite his criticisms, he recognized that Swiatek navigated an “open bracket” with skill, successfully capitalizing on the opportunities presented to her at this year’s Wimbledon.