Laver Cup Returns to London as Global Expansion Proves Costly
The short version
- The Laver Cup returns to London in 2026, four years after the O2 Arena hosted its most profitable European edition (£4.1 million operating profit).
- Chairman Tony Godsick said arena specifications, sponsor demands and high costs have blocked expansion to South America, Asia and Africa.
- Parent company Trident8 posted operating losses in 2023 and 2024 and aims to grow broadcast and sponsorship revenue.
- Each member of the winning six-player team earns $250,000; Team World has won three of the last four editions.
- The 2027 event is set for the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, with future hosts undecided.
Logistics, arena requirements and sponsor demands have kept Roger Federer's team event tied to proven host cities like London, chairman Tony Godsick said.
The Laver Cup is back in London this week, returning to a city that hosted one of the event's most successful editions at the O2 Arena in 2022. Speaking at a Friday morning press conference in London, Laver Cup chairman Tony Godsick acknowledged that the event's founding goal of reaching new destinations around the world has proven harder than expected.
Godsick, who is also Roger Federer's agent and co-founded the competition with him in 2017, said the requirements for a suitable arena were stricter than organizers initially understood. The event needs facilities with a certain seating capacity, in locations that appeal to its roughly 25 sponsors, and that can accommodate the competition's signature red-and-blue lighting presentation.
Financial records from Trident8, the Laver Cup's parent company, help explain the return to familiar markets. The 2022 London edition at the O2 Arena was the most profitable of the four European stagings to date, generating an operating profit of £4.1 million ($5.4 million). By comparison, the 2024 Berlin event recorded a negligible operating loss of £2,223, and the 2019 Geneva edition produced a £409,319 operating profit. The inaugural 2017 event in Prague ended the year with a £6.2 million operating loss.
Godsick said high costs remain the main obstacle to taking the event to new continents. While he said he is willing to invest and even lose money on the event, expenses have become prohibitive in some markets. He noted interest in bringing the Laver Cup to Africa and South America, but said finding an indoor arena with all the necessary specifications for the required period of time has been difficult.
After posting operating losses in both 2023 and 2024, Trident8 signaled a possible shift in its host-site strategy in its 2024 filing. The company said improved understanding of what makes a successful event would guide future site selection, drive revenue growth, control costs and reduce variability. It also aims to increase broadcast and sponsorship income so it is less dependent on ticket and hospitality revenue, which would widen the pool of viable host cities.
The Laver Cup was created in 2017 as a team competition in the mold of golf's Ryder Cup, honoring Australian legend Rod Laver. Six-player rosters for Team Europe and Team World compete over three days, with one doubles and three singles matches each day. Match values increase as the event progresses, and the first team to reach 13 points wins. Each member of the winning side earns $250,000, with all players also receiving an undisclosed appearance fee tied to their ATP ranking.
Team Europe won the first four editions, but Team World has taken three of the last four. Federer played the final match of his career at the 2022 Laver Cup in London, partnering Rafael Nadal in doubles. Announcing London as the 2026 host last year, Godsick said demand for the event's return to the city was impossible to ignore.
The 2027 Laver Cup is scheduled for the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, with hosting rights beyond that still undetermined. In the United States, the event is broadcast on Tennis Channel. Godsick said organizers still hope to visit other markets eventually, but added that it has not been as easy as anticipated when the concept was first developed.
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