Here are my picks:

Host City: London (inaugural, changes every year)
Preferred time of year: Week after YEC

Team Europe:
Captain: Kim Cljisters. Vice Captain: Henin
Members:
Sabalenka
Badosa
Bencic
Muchova
Kalinskaya
Raducanu

Team World:
Captain: Serena. Vice Captain: Venus
Members:
Gauff
Pegula
Rybakina
Osaka
Zheng
Fernandez

 

Genuinely curious how Raducanu makes your Team Europe? Judging from your numerous comments on her, you seem to think she's a lost cause. Is it marketing?

 

The only way Belinda would be invited to this party is if it WAS part of the Laver Cup and Roger did her a favour.

 

She's #17 in live ranking, not too shabby at all, and popular with many players, she's good for team camaraderie. I like her tennis.

 

These threads have been done before. It would obviously be a much stronger competition for women due to the strength of the US women. It's very skewed towards Europe for the men.

 

Totally.

This has indeed been talked about a bunch. And I'm on the same page as you: Europe vs. The World for the women would be even more of a blowout than Laver Cup. To make it a remotely competitive affair the women should be divided into Eastern Europe vs. The Rest

 

Team Europe:

Members:
Paolini (of course)
Bencic/Badosa - (whichever isn't injured)
Kostyuk (Ukraine is in Europe)
Raducanu (self-explanatory)
Krejčíková (I assume Muchova would be injured. 💀 )
Boisson (Need a French to draw the crowds)


Team World:
Members:
Anisimova
Mboko
Osaka
Zheng
Fernandez (I'd pick Bibi....but she'd probably be injured)
Joint

Team World would be a TOTAL MESS.

Host it in neutral territory, somewhere central....How about in Monte Carlo, on clay.

 

Krejčíková (I assume Muchova would be injured. 💀 )

😫😫😫😫🤣🤣🤣

 

Generally Laver Cup teams are selected on the basis of marketability rather than sporting merit. Often those go hand-hand, but sometimes not.

So I guess Venus is in the mix for Team World.

 

Team Europe
Paolini - she rocks it in team competitions
Raducanu - to draw the crowds
Muchova/Krejcikova - Czech player is a requirement, whoever isn't injured.
Kostyuk - seems like the type who would do well in a team environment
Sabalenka/Swiatek - not sure if I'd want both, too overpowered
Andreeva - also enjoys team competitions/exhibitions

Team World
Rybakina - duh
Mboko, maybe Joint - young, up and coming, interesting.
Fernandez - also likes the team environment, enjoys doubles too. Good vibes. Also people want to see the USO rematch lol.
Haddad Maia - Brazilian crowds could be cool, also can play doubles
Osaka - to draw crowds
Pegula/Gauff - need one or both to bring in the American crowd. Gauff is much more marketable and a phenomenal competitor. Probably Gauff.

NOT Navarro, PLEASE.

These are people who I think would provide good fun vibes. Lmao.

Much as I like Alexandrova, she would not be fitting for this at all omg. Kessler loves the team environment but wouldn't be a first pick probably, quite unknown to most people.

 

Just the 2020 edition please.

 

Sharapova-Serena doubles team. Willpova.

 

Aussie Kasatkina in Team World.

But seriously, no i don't want to see this event.

 

I am not sure if Russia would be considered Europe or Asia. Have the likes of Medvedev and Rublev played the Laver cup before? Which team were they placed?
Have been watching some Laver cup recently and listening to Roddick's podcast talking about the main reasons for this event is to create an opportunity to let different generations to come together and interact and learn from each other and about the sport and I have wondered if it'll be good if something like this will happen on the women's side as well and whether its beneficial or not. I am not sure. It's up for debate. I can see pluses and minuses, really depends on the players.

Not sure if Aryna will be considered Europe or Asia, I can see Belarus to be more on the Europe side in terms of geography. Russia I am not so sure but TF in the players forum considered the Russian Roulettes to be in Europe so I guess it's more Europe.
The main theme is to link different generations but also have big stars here to play so I would like a mixture of big stars and also young and up coming stars:
Europe:
Aryna
Iga
Paolini
MIrra
Boisson
Another young player or doubles expert like Noskova, Siniakova, Mertens, Shnaider, Raducanu

World:
Gauff
Rybakina
Qinwen
Jovic
Joint/Mboko
Eala/some doubles expert maybe Townsend or Storm or Hsieh or even Ostapenko for that epic Iga/Penko match

In terms of team captains, Seles was Yugoslavic but switched to the US. So is she open to being captain of either Europe or World? I am down for a Seles Conchita or Clijsters captains. Seles/Hingis or Graf/Hingis would be dramatic but a lot here will revolt if that's the case.

On the world side, maybe one of the American greats + someone else where like Barty or Stosur.

 

I am not sure if Russia would be considered Europe or Asia. Have the likes of Medvedev and Rublev played the Laver cup before? Which team were they placed?
Have been watching some Laver cup recently and listening to Roddick's podcast talking about the main reasons for this event is to create an opportunity to let different generations to come together and interact and learn from each other and about the sport and I have wondered if it'll be good if something like this will happen on the women's side as well and whether its beneficial or not. I am not sure. It's up for debate. I can see pluses and minuses, really depends on the players.

Not sure if Aryna will be considered Europe or Asia, I can see Belarus to be more on the Europe side in terms of geography. Russia I am not so sure but TF in the players forum considered the Russian Roulettes to be in Europe so I guess it's more Europe.
The main theme is to link different generations but also have big stars here to play so I would like a mixture of big stars and also young and up coming stars:
Europe:
Aryna
Iga
Paolini
MIrra
Boisson
Another young player or doubles expert like Noskova, Siniakova, Mertens, Shnaider, Raducanu

World:
Gauff
Rybakina
Qinwen
Jovic
Joint/Mboko
Eala/some doubles expert maybe Townsend or Storm or Hsieh or even Ostapenko for that epic Iga/Penko match

In terms of team captains, does Seles was Yugoslavic but switched to the US. So is she open to being captain of either Europe or World? I am down for a Seles Conchita or Clijsters captains. Seles/Hingis or Graf/Hingis would be dramatic but a lot here will revolt if that's the case.

On the world side, maybe one of the American greats + someone else where like Barty or Stosur.

Russia and Belarus are definitely Team Europe. Medvedev played for Team Europe last year.
Ostapenko is Latvian which is Europe so she can't play Swiatek, they'd be on the same team. That'd be quite hilarious actually. Also Ukraine and Russia/Belarus would all be in Team Europe, haha.

Interesting question about Seles. I would think she'd be for Team USA. Same for Navratilova even if she seems partial to Czechia still.

 

No, thanks - the Laver Cup and United Cup is more than enough bullshit... we definitely don't need more of that type of superficial, novelty garbage.

 

Doesn't Laver Cup have unofficial rules for Team World.

They usually invite the South American #1 and Australian #1 as well as a Canadian.

 

Please don't give anyone an idea about coming up with yet another Cup event.

 

This is a cool idea. Whoever is on the sides, I think the concept of a somewhat joint men/women angle could follow well on the fan attendance of the mixed doubles at the US Open last month.

But I imagine there would have to be some attraction for the event, maybe somewhere exotic...
Tahiti
Monaco
Estes Park
Mallorca (Rafa's academy)
or mess with them and play it in Andorra at altitude. 🙃

...sorry just random ideas...it's a great idea. There should be more WTA/ATP interaction again.

 

I don't trust any event which needs to have a half of the field popularity VCs for it's existence.
Especially after the USO turning a mixed GS into an exhibition (and still being won by real doubles players).


If wego with olympics-like ranking - first 3 without filtering and than picking players from not yet involved countries, we would get:
Sabalenka - Swiatek - Andreeva - Paolini - Tauson - Svitolina (Bencic, Mertens)
Gauff-Anisimova-Keys - Rybakina - Zheng - Osaka (Kasatkina, Mboko)

Not bad, but not exactly exciting, we have matchups like that through the year, sometimes even in earlier rounds.

 

TEAM EUROPE:

Captain: Steffi Graf, Vice: Monica Seles

Swiatek, Sabalenka, Andreeva, Paolini, Ostapenko, Svitolina, Kreicjikova, Siniakova

TEAM WORLD:

Captain: Navratilova, Vice: Gabriella Sabatini

Gauff, Anisimova, Pegula, Zheng, Rybakina, Osaka, Hsieh, Townsend

 

Not sure if Andreeva can be considered European since she's from Krasnojarsk, Siberia, which is further east than India. The Urals are the conventional border between Europe and Asia