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‘Make it mixed!’ Insists former Wimbledon champion on Laver Cup format


Laver Cup organisers should seriously consider opening the event to the top women’s players this former top-10 star believes.

After Team Europe hammered Team World by a score of 14-1 in their fourth Laver Cup triumph from as many tournaments, many think that the competition is in need of a revamp.

One suggestion is that it should become a mixed ATP and WTA event, an idea touted by none other than 2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli.

“I think it would be nice to [make it] a mixed event,” Bartoli proposed on The Match Points podcast.

“Especially now when you have, for example Leylah [Fernandez] (US Open finalist) playing for the rest of the world and Emma [Raducanu] (US Open champion) playing for Europe.

“I think it would be so interesting to see some mixed doubles, or even singles. But let’s say a mixed doubles between Raducanu and Novak [Djokovic] against Fernandez and Felix [Auger-Aliassime] for example.

“That would have been something a lot of people would pay for.”

The ATP top-10 is currently made up only of players from Europe. Felix Auger-Aliassime is the highest ranked non-European player, at 11th in the world.

Meanwhile, the WTA rankings have three players in the top-10 who are not European. They are Sofia Kenin (USA), Naomi Osaka (Japan) and world number one Ashleigh Barty (Australia).

Other potential Team World stars include 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, Tunisian talent Ons Jabeur and American star Coco Gauff to name a few.

“So, I think you can absolutely incorporate the women and make it still a great event for years to come,” Bartoli concluded.


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