Federer, Nadal and Djokovic learn final Laver Cup opponents as rival Team World complete

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Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and the rest of Team Europe have learned their final opponents for the upcoming Laver Cup. Alex De Minaur and John Isner completed the Team World squad and will be joining the likes of Taylor Fritz at London’s O2 Arena in less than a month.

With the Laver Cup now four weeks away, the last two players have been announced to complete Team World after Team Europe secured their squad earlier this month. De Minaur and Isner will join Felix Auger-Aliassime, Taylor Fritz, Diego Schwartzman and Jack Sock as they attempt the mammoth task of beating a Team Europe represented by the Big Four.

Federer will be making his long-awaited comeback at the Ryder-Cup style event on September 23 alongside rivals Nadal, Djokovic and Andy Murray, as well as top young players Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud. And they have now learned that Isner will be back for a fifth time, making him the only player in Laver Cup history to compete in all five editions so far.

While it will be a tall task to defeat a team boasting 66 Grand Slam titles to zero, the American is convinced that Team World can upset the heavyweight Team Europe, firing a warning to Federer, Nadal and co. “I feel honoured to be selected for Team World, it means so much to me,” the world No 48 said of his fifth call-up.

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“This is such a special event and London will be bigger than ever. Team World has come so close to winning the Laver Cup, and I truly believe we can pull it off this year.” The big-serving American will be joined by a Laver Cup debutant in Alex De Minaur, keeping the Aussie representation going after Nick Kyrgios announced that he would be missing the team tournament for the first time.

After being selected by Team World captain John McEnroe for the first time, the world No 20 said: “I’m excited to be playing the Laver Cup in September. I’ve heard many great things from my mates on the Tour and I can’t wait to get out there for John McEnroe and my teammates.”

The squad’s captain is also feeling confident about his selections as he bids to lead his team to a maiden victory over arguably the toughest Team Europe yet. “This is a highly accomplished and competitive team,” the seven-time Major champion said.

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“Isner brings a wealth of experience and a record of success in singles and doubles at the Laver Cup. He is a consummate professional and a leader on the court. Alex is a great fighter, and it’s exciting to have him join the team. He will thrive in this environment and has earned his spot with his play!”

And it seems Team Europe is just as excited, with Nadal teasing some Laver Cup-related filming on his Instagram account on Wednesday. The world No 3 posted one photo to his feed and one to his story showing himself donning a grey suit in front of the camera, and tagged the Laver Cup account in both posts.

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