By Alberto Amalfi | @Tennis_Now | Monday, August 19, 2024
Frances Tiafoe will launch a major mission next month.
Help Team World three-peat as Laver Cup champions.
Final Focus: Cincinnati Photo Gallery by Matthew Calvis
Cincinnati Open finalist Tiafoe and Chilean world No. 22 Alejandro Tabilo are set to represent Team World at the seventh edition of the Laver Cup, which will be held at Uber Arena in Berlin, from September 20-22, 2024.
Tiafoe and Tabilo complete the lineup for Team World. The pair join world No.10 Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul on Captain John McEnroe’s squad.
Since competing for Team World at the inaugural Laver Cup 2017 in Prague, Tiafoe has made his mark at the highest level both on tour and at the Laver Cup. He reached the US Open semifinals in 2022 after defeating four-time champion Rafael Nadal, becoming the first American man to do so since Andy Roddick in 2006.
Tiafoe made history when he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas to seal the first Laver Cup championship for Team World in London in 2022.
Prior to that win, Tiafoe and compatriot Jack Sock joined forces to defeat Nadal and Roger Federer in Federer’s last professional match in Laver Cup doubles.
“I am excited to be back on Team World and looking forward to another great week with my teammates and Johnny Mac,” said Tiafoe. “A third win in a row is the goal!”
This will be Tiafoe’s fifth appearance at the Laver Cup, a record he will share with Alexander Zverev.
“I’m thrilled to have Frances back on the team in Berlin,” Team World Captain John McEnroe said. “He’s proven he can hold his own against the world’s best players. His power and speed make him a threat in both singles and doubles, giving us lots of options.
“He’s a big personality and brings a great vibe to the team, whether he’s on the court or on the bench.”
Laver Cup debutant Alejandro Tabilo clinched his first ATP Tour title in Auckland in January, dropping just one set in six matches to become the first Chilean to win a tour-level hard-court title since Fernando Gonzalez in 2007.
Tabilo achieved a major upset on clay at the ATP Masters in Rome, defeating world No.1 Novak Djokovic in straight sets on his run to the semifinals where he stretched eventual champion Alexander Zverev to three sets. In July he broke into the top 20 for the first time after winning his maiden grasscourt title at Mallorca.
“Tabilo has…
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