SEPT 25 - 27, 2026 | LONDON
A lit-up neon yellow tennis racquet sits atop the new RF Room backstage at The O2 arena in London, the famed venue’s first room named after an athlete. Federer appeared at the site 45 times, a record for any athlete or entertainer, and that number plays a central role across the room designed to host artists preparing for a performance.
“The O2 will always be a very special place for me,” Federer said. “I have so many great memories of playing here over the years, and of course it’s where I played the final match of my career in 2022. To come back four years later and have a room here is a very special honor.”
Inside, a specially designed table tennis table with artwork Federer selected is surrounded by 45 paddles arranged on the walls – 44 in white and one in black, signed by Federer. The number 45 adorns the walls and decorations. A signed photo of Federer waving farewell to the Laver Cup crowd in 2022 features prominently. The room’s sound system includes a playlist that Federer helped curate.
Venue owners AEG presented Federer with a key to the room and a table tennis paddle made from The O2’s tent fabric. “I love the personal touches and the thought that has gone into creating it,” Federer said. “I’m very grateful to everyone at AEG and look forward to seeing it whenever I’m back – and hopefully getting a few games of table tennis in too.”
On Wednesday at The O2, six Grand Slam champions with a total of 49 majors between them walked the iconic black Laver Cup court, including Federer (20), Rod Laver (11), Andre Agassi (8), Carlos Alcaraz (7), Pat Rafter (2) and Yannick Noah (1), all gathering to take photos with the Laver Cup trophy.
Alcaraz hung back before approaching Laver Cup namesake Laver. “I don’t want to bother,” Alcaraz said. The No.3-ranked Spaniard spent a few minutes chatting with Laver courtside at The O2, first discussing how Alcaraz has always wanted to play at the venue.
They then turned to equipment.
“I always thought how I’d [play] with your racquet,” Alcaraz said. “You have to have real good timing.”
Federer joined in, and the trio discussed how Laver’s Dunlop racquets weighed over 400 grams. Federer started at 360 grams, then moved to 340, and now 320. Alcaraz said he plays at 310.
“To us, that feels like a kid’s racquet,” Federer joked.
Laver welcomed the interactions, also chatting with Team Europe captain Yannick Noah about the speed of the courts and Team World captain Andre Agassi about the speed of the balls. Team Europe Vice Captain Tim Henman asked Laver for some tips as Team Europe seeks to reclaim the Cup after Team World won in San Francisco in 2025.
Laver Cup has stepped up The O2 arena experience for 2026, custom-building a center-hung scoreboard for the event. The bespoke build by the event’s arena production partner, Creative Technology, features 648 LED panels and just over three million pixels. It ranges from 24 meters (78 feet) wide to 6 meters (20 feet) on the sides and 9 meters (30 feet) on the ends.
Official Laver Cup trophy handler Frans Thom never strays far from the Laver Cup trophy. These are busy days for the trophy, crafted with molten metal from one of Laver’s first professional trophies and with design elements honoring his tennis achievements, such as the rocket shape to match his nickname, 200 notches on the rim signifying his career titles and the duplication of four rings at the base to represent Laver’s two calendar-year Grand Slam triumphs in 1962 and 1969.
The Wednesday and Thursday prior to the Laver Cup, Thom is busy moving the Cup around, “making sure it’s in pristine condition” as it travels to the iconic photo location and opening night gala. He wants to keep it gleaming so that everyone who gets a chance to get a picture in front of it can have the best experience possible. Friday through Sunday, the trophy makes an appearance on court at each session and in fan spaces.
