Team Europe won the Laver Cup in fine style last month, beating Team Rest of the World 13-1. The Billie Jean King Cup Finals - to find the best nation in women's tennis - takes place in Prague over the first week of November, while the Davis Cup - the men-only team tennis event - returns at the end of November. The Australian Open has been preceded in previous, pre-pandemic years by the ATP Cup and the Hopman Cup - although it seems that neither will take place in 2022.
Suffice to say, there are a lot of team competitions in tennis. That's the topic for the latest edition of Match Points as host Josh Cohen asks the panel for their views - and how they'd tweak the calendar, given the power.
KEY MOMENTS:
0.44 - What needs to be done to make the Laver Cup more competitive? Simon says it's a "nice idea" to honour "Rod Laver, one of the kings of tennis", but thinks it's "a long way" from being a real competition.
2.58 - Marion was quick to say that she thought the 2021 edition of the Laver Cup was disappointing because the Rest of the World team was relatively weak, leading to a straightforward Europe win.
5.43 - And Carole agreed in part with both of them, suggesting that perhaps an annual event is too frequent in a packed tennis schedule.
"It lacks stakes," she said. "It depends on casting - they need the top players to commit."
7.50 - Marion suggested that more legends could be involved, with some of them playing a doubles match with current players. That way, it would be something different, allowing the players to have a break from the rigours of tour life and to have fun with their friends.
9.45 - Carole pointed out that more legends playing would make it into an exhibition event - which is something the Laver Cup says it does not want to be.
10.10 - "Most people inside the stadium are loving it, but I would love to see the viewing figures on TV, because I don't think the world at large gets it yet," said Simon, who suggested that the teams could be expanded to 12 per side - and that the competitiveness of the event could be increased if Borg's old foe Jimmy Connors was the Rest of the World captain.
10.36 - Josh asked the panel what they would do to improve the Laver Cup. Simon came up with a couple of other ideas to make it more of a spectacle - including handicaps depending on a player's ranking.
10.55 - Carole insisted that a tournament with no ranking points attached to it could never be particularly competitive, because the pressure on players would not be the same - but Marion said that younger players always want to show the legends how good they are.
13.30 - Simon suggested getting captains to play off in the event of a tie, exclaiming: "To see McEnroe and Borg getting out there to see who wins it, I think it would be fantastic."
More on: www.tennismajors.com
Suffice to say, there are a lot of team competitions in tennis. That's the topic for the latest edition of Match Points as host Josh Cohen asks the panel for their views - and how they'd tweak the calendar, given the power.
KEY MOMENTS:
0.44 - What needs to be done to make the Laver Cup more competitive? Simon says it's a "nice idea" to honour "Rod Laver, one of the kings of tennis", but thinks it's "a long way" from being a real competition.
2.58 - Marion was quick to say that she thought the 2021 edition of the Laver Cup was disappointing because the Rest of the World team was relatively weak, leading to a straightforward Europe win.
5.43 - And Carole agreed in part with both of them, suggesting that perhaps an annual event is too frequent in a packed tennis schedule.
"It lacks stakes," she said. "It depends on casting - they need the top players to commit."
7.50 - Marion suggested that more legends could be involved, with some of them playing a doubles match with current players. That way, it would be something different, allowing the players to have a break from the rigours of tour life and to have fun with their friends.
9.45 - Carole pointed out that more legends playing would make it into an exhibition event - which is something the Laver Cup says it does not want to be.
10.10 - "Most people inside the stadium are loving it, but I would love to see the viewing figures on TV, because I don't think the world at large gets it yet," said Simon, who suggested that the teams could be expanded to 12 per side - and that the competitiveness of the event could be increased if Borg's old foe Jimmy Connors was the Rest of the World captain.
10.36 - Josh asked the panel what they would do to improve the Laver Cup. Simon came up with a couple of other ideas to make it more of a spectacle - including handicaps depending on a player's ranking.
10.55 - Carole insisted that a tournament with no ranking points attached to it could never be particularly competitive, because the pressure on players would not be the same - but Marion said that younger players always want to show the legends how good they are.
13.30 - Simon suggested getting captains to play off in the event of a tie, exclaiming: "To see McEnroe and Borg getting out there to see who wins it, I think it would be fantastic."
More on: www.tennismajors.com
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