Tiafoe leads Team World to its first Laver Cup victory.
As the American defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in a thrilling encounter, saving four match points, Frances Tiafoe led Team World to its first Laver Cup victory, depriving Roger Federer of a final trophy.
In the tournament’s penultimate game at London’s O2 Arena, Tiafoe put on an incredible comeback to win 1-6,7-6 (13/11), 10/8.
John McEnroe’s Team World won the competition for the first time after Team Europe won the first four iterations thanks to a 13-8 final score with one match remaining.
While Federer had intended to cap off his career by winning a competition he helped to design, the Swiss legend was instead left to applaud Tiafoe and the rest of Team World.
Federer praised Team World for their “great comeback.”
Even though it was occasionally emotional, I had a terrific time. I’m really grateful to you for that. I relished every second.
Federer stated that he plans to attend the Laver Cup in Canada the following year. I’ll also be there, but I’ll be cheering for the opposing team.
The final match of Federer’s illustrious career was played on Friday when he and Rafael Nadal lost to Tiafoe and Jack Sock in the doubles.
The tournament’s most memorable moment was the heartbreaking farewell of the 20-time Grand Slam champion, but Federer, who was forced to retire due to knee issues, lingered to support his teammates on Team Europe.
Tiafoe leads Team World to its first Laver Cup victory.
Despite the fact that Team Europe’s roster included Andy Murray, a former world number one, and Wimbledon winner Novak Djokovic, it was fitting that Tiafoe and Felix Auger-Aliassime from Canada, an emerging talent, lead Team World’s comeback from an 8-4 overnight disadvantage.
In addition to Nadal and Murray, who are in the latter stages of their careers, Tiafoe, 24, and Auger-Aliassime, 22, are members of the generation that is supposed to take centre stage now that Federer has retired.
“It’s an incredible sensation. Our captain, Jonny Mac, had been using expletives all week because he was sick of losing. This is our year, I kept saying. We all showed up, not just me,” Tiafoe added.
“It appears that I am currently playing in the crucial game. All that matters is that I get to hold the Laver Cup trophy, so I’m delighted about that,” Tiafoe said.
Auger-Aliassime brought Team World back into contention as they needed to win three of the four games on Sunday.
