Coco Gauff has expressed her desire for Roger Federer to introduce a women’s version of the Laver Cup, which currently features only men. The Laver Cup, co-founded by Federer, pits Team Europe against Team World in an annual event that showcases the best male tennis players. Gauff, one of four American women currently in the top 10 of the WTA rankings, believes the time is right for a similar tournament for female players.
The 20-year-old shared her thoughts on Instagram, posting a picture of herself along with fellow top-ranked American players Jessica Pegula, Emma Navarro, and newly-crowned Australian Open champion Madison Keys, with the caption: “USA vs World Laver Cup????”
The idea of a women’s Laver Cup has already been discussed. Tony Godsick, Federer’s business partner and co-creator of the Laver Cup, acknowledged the possibility of a women’s version last year but indicated that it might take some time to develop the right format. “First of all, we want to reach our full potential with the Laver Cup for men, then we will look at various possibilities,” Godsick said. He also mentioned that while the men’s version is modeled after the prestigious Ryder Cup in golf, a women’s tournament would need to be named and organized differently.
There have also been suggestions of introducing a mixed-gender Laver Cup, but Godsick was quick to dismiss this idea. He pointed out that the mixed-gender format already exists in the form of the Hopman Cup, which has recently undergone changes. “We didn’t know the Laver Cup would be as successful as it is, but adding women to it would make it similar to the Hopman Cup, which kind of exists already,” he explained.
It remains to be seen if Gauff’s vision for a women’s Laver Cup will come to fruition, but the possibility is certainly on the radar for the future of tennis.
