Take a deep dive into Laver Cup San Francisco 2025 to find out what’s happening between the white lines.
Andy Roddick Goes Live at Laver Cup
Andy Roddick’s popular Served podcast went live at Laver Cup on Thursday. Just a few minutes into the opening, watched by a growing group of fans in the newly opened Fan Zone at Thrive City, outside Chase Center in San Francisco, Roddick welcomed Andre Agassi, Team World captain, to the podcast stage.
The two discussed Agassi’s role as a first-year captain. “Of course we’re here for the win,” Agassi said, but added that his goal is to give each player the perspective of something they can achieve moving on in their career while offering up “shortcut” advice that may help them more immediately. He looked at his role as providing something to players in “real time” and something with the “long view” while spending time with them on the practice court.
Roddick, who never played in Laver Cup but “wish I had,” said the style of play, where the “action never stops,” really lends a different element to the event. Agassi agreed that as a captain, he’s focused on keeping the players involved because even if down a set, the 10-point Laver Breaker format allows for quick comebacks. Agassi said he’s not quite sure how he’ll handle the captain role amid a match, especially with television cameras all around. “The only thing I worry about is swearing,” he said. “That’s how real it is, but you gotta get your point across.”
Fan Zone Opens
Open Practice Day inside Chase Center marked the opening of the Laver Cup Fan Zone at Thrive City, outside Chase Center. As fans filed toward the doors for initial entry into the arena, they took time to engage with the setup of the zone, including an interactive station from Ant International and Oliver Peoples. The Golden State Warriors team store was outfitted with Laver Cup merchandise aplenty—in the early moments of selling, staff said the San Francisco-themed Laver Cup pins and cans of tennis balls were the hot sellers—while the Laver Cup Serve Challenge by ServiceNow attracted fans wanting to impress on the outdoor black court.
One group of young fans was obvious while they bustled around the Fan Zone as Craig Law, St. Ignacius College Preparatory alumni and 25-year director of the tennis program, brought 50 of the school’s tennis players to site. His goal was that the students would have a good time with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “It is a memory they will have forever,” Law said as the students explored the Fan Zone. “A couple of them already met [Roger] Federer around the city. The kids are absolutely loving this.”
Media Day for Laver Cup Players
Media day kicked off with the player portrait. Each of the players, before engaging with the media in one-on-one interviews and a press conference, stopped by the Laver Cup photo team for an individual official team portrait. “I want to look good,” Team Europe captain Yannick Noah said as he walked up for his shot. That was the name of the game, as Laver Cup photographers set the players up and snapped photos, mixing “moody” looks with smiles and arms crossed with poses with tennis rackets. Team Europe vice-captain Tim Henman joked “then they say look natural” after Carlos Alcaraz followed photographer’s instructions into the right pose. Following the portraits, the players, dressed in team kits, handled questions from the press and participated in the Open Practice Day as Chase Center filled up with fans.
John Isner Makes a Return
Former Laver Cup Team World player and American tennis star John Isner made a return to the black courts on Thursday, part of an event with tournament sponsor Perplexity. “I am just happy to be back,” he said. “I really like this event and I’m glad to be able to bring my son here who is really into tennis. It is really cool to introduce this game to my son.” While the nearly 6-year-old Isner is playing plenty of sport, tennis is gaining momentum for the youngster. For his father, there was bittersweet moment. “You miss being out here practicing with the guys,” he said while Alexander Zverev and Holger Rune hit on the court, “but it is a lot of hard work, so [now] I can sort of relax.”