Rafael Nadal to team up with Roger Federer for Laver Cup 2019 in Geneva

Press release

Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal will join Roger Federer for the highly anticipated third edition of the Laver Cup to be held in Geneva, Switzerland from 20-22 September, 2019.

The news is a major coup for Bjorn Borg’s Team Europe as it looks to build a team to defend its unbeaten record.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public in early February, with a variety of Premium Hospitality Ticket packages available from today.

Image credit: LaverCup.com

Federer and Nadal, two of the greatest players and strongest rivals of all time, joined forces for the inaugural Laver Cup in Prague in 2017, famously playing, and winning, a memorable doubles match together.

Team Europe captain Bjorn Borg is understandably delighted to name both Federer and Nadal as he aims to build the strongest possible Team Europe for 2019.

“It doesn’t get much better for a captain than naming both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for the Laver Cup in Geneva,” Borg said.

“Bringing together two of the greatest players, and rivals, the sport has ever seen together on one team is very exciting for our sport – and will give us the best possible chance to win the Laver Cup three years in a row.

“At the first Laver Cup in Prague, with both Roger and Rafa on the team, we knew it would be very special, bringing together two such great champions. But I think we all underestimated how powerful it would be to see them sitting side by side, coaching each other and cheering each other on, along with their teammates from the player bench.

“We saw again the same special moments in Chicago, and how much this event means to the players. I can’t wait to see how the Laver Cup unfolds in Geneva as Team Europe regroups to defend our title,” Borg said.

Roger Federer also has his eye on a third Laver Cup trophy as he looks forward to the event coming to his home country of Switzerland.

“We’ve all been blown away by the success of the Laver Cup, which in just two years has become so special to all the players who’ve been involved from both teams.

“I’m excited Captain Borg has named both me and Rafa to the team. We had a lot of fun in Prague and it will be very special for me to team up with him again in Switzerland to try and defend our title.

“John McEnroe has made it very clear how motivated Team World is to win and we’ll need to compete hard to stay undefeated. I know from lots of first-hand experience how tough it is to compete against Rafa and it’s a huge boost to our team to have him on Team Europe.”

Nadal is also looking forward to re-joining Team Europe.

“I’m looking forward to playing the Laver Cup in Geneva next year and am very excited to be named to the team by our captain Bjorn Borg. I will do my best to live up to the great performances we had in Prague last year,” Rafael Nadal said.

Since its inception two years ago the Laver Cup has established itself as one of the most prestigious tennis events in the calendar, bringing together top-class tennis and entertainment with premium sponsors and hospitality offerings to create a unique spectacle for sports fans around the globe.

The three-day tournament pits six of the top male tennis players from Europe, captained by Bjorn Borg, against six of their counterparts from the rest of the world, led by John McEnroe, and has sold out stadiums in Prague and Chicago to date.

Named in honor of Australian tennis legend Rod Laver, the event will be played in a specially constructed 17,000-seat arena at the Palexpo in Geneva on a dramatic black court.

Fans will be able to soak up the unique atmosphere as rivals become teammates through a range of ticket options, including multi-session tickets offering the same seat to all five sessions, single session tickets and a variety of hospitality experiences.

Full details of all hospitality packages, pricing and how to purchase can be found at LaverCup.com.

Multi-session tickets, excluding hospitality, will go on sale in early February 2019, with a limited number of single session tickets to follow. Prices for multi-session and single session tickets will start at $250 and $25 respectively.

Register at LaverCup.com for more information and to receive updates on ticket sales.

Angelique Kerber secures second singles qualification spot for 2018 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore

Press Release

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) announced today that Angelique Kerber has qualified for the 2018 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, set to take place from October 21-28, 2018. The German becomes the second player to secure her spot at the $7 million year-end event, joining Simona Halep who booked her spot in August.

Photo credit: Getty Images

A former WTA World No.1, Kerber has enjoyed a stellar campaign to date, highlighted by winning her third Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon. Having also reached the semifinals at the Australian Open and quarterfinals at Roland Garros, she is the only player this season to reach the final eight in the first three Grand Slams of 2018.

Kerber started her 2018 season by lifting the Sydney International trophy and also made back-to-back quarterfinal showings at the BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells) and Miami Open. With 42 match wins this year, Kerber has won 40 or more matches in six of her last seven seasons.

“I am honored to qualify for the WTA Finals in Singapore this year,” said Kerber. “I have many memories of competing in Singapore, especially reaching the final in 2016, and I’m excited to be back and play in front of the amazing fans.”

Kerber has secured her fifth qualification at the WTA Finals, most recently appearing in 2016 when she posted a 3-0 record in the group stage and reached the final, falling to Dominika Cibulkova in the championship match. Her first two appearances at the year-end event were in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2012 and 2013, and also Singapore in 2015.

Staged at the Singapore Sports Hub from October 21-28, the 2018 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global is a 10-day tennis festival featuring the world’s best players vying for a US$7 million in prize money and two of the most prestigious titles in women’s tennis. The Top 8 singles players will compete in a round-robin format with the winner taking home the Billie Jean King Trophy. The Top 8 doubles teams will compete in a knock-out format for the WTA Finals Martina Navratilova Trophy.

The Porsche Race to Singapore Leaderboard is updated each Monday (every two weeks during Grand Slams events) and can be found at www.WTAFinals.com.

The winner of the Porsche Race to Singapore - the player who sits at No.1 in singles leading into the WTA Finals - will not only seal a spot at the season-ending showpiece, but also be congratulated with a new Porsche 718 Boxster GTS.

Tickets to the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global are on sale at www.WTAFinals.com, an immersive one-stop destination for all things tournament-related, bringing fans the latest news from the top players on their journey on the Porsche Race to Singapore.

WTA Future stars returns to Bangkok

WTA Legend and hometown hero Tamarine Tanasugarn welcomed back the WTA Future Stars in Bangkok, Thailand, today as she introduced 50 children aged 10-12 years from a local primary school, the Preedavittaya School, to tennis for the first time in a series of fun basic activities and drills.

Tanasugarn, who will be returning as a WTA Finals Legend Ambassador in Singapore this October, shared her experience with the next generation saying, “It has been great working with the WTA to promote tennis in Thailand through the WTA Future Stars programme over the last few years. Each time, we are able to reach out to a new group of children and introduce them to tennis, and I really enjoy being able to share my experience with them. It would be great to see more children take up tennis in Thailand and hopefully we will see some Thai stars in future!”

“Over the last four years, the WTA has built a strong foundation in the Asia-Pacific through the WTA Future Stars initiative, which has been an integral part of raising awareness on tennis and the WTA Finals in the region. The WTA Future Stars was launched alongside the first edition of the WTA Finals held in Singapore in 2014, and we have since gone on to conduct clinics and masterclasses in China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore. Working closely with our WTA legends like Tamarine Tanasugarn, the WTA Future Stars outreach is aimed at highlighting how sport is great way for young boys and girls to develop beneficial life skills that will help them to achieve whatever goals they may set for themselves,” said Melissa Pine, Vice President of WTA Asia-Pacific and Tournament Director of the WTA Finals.

Speaking after assisting Tanasugarn during the clinic, the 2017 WTA Future Stars Under-14 finalist from Thailand, Pimrada Jattavapornvanit, said, “It was a wonderful experience to be able to represent my country at the WTA Future Stars tournament in Singapore last year, and I am glad to be able to attend the clinic today to share my passion for tennis with other local children. Tamarine Tanasugarn is our role model and being able to stand next to her to encourage more children in Thailand to play our sport is a very special experience for me.”

Mr. Kitsombat Euammongkol, President of the Lawn Tennis Association Thailand (LTAT), said, “This is the second year that the WTA has worked with the LTAT to host the WTA Future Stars at our national tennis centre, and it has been a great success. We look forward to more opportunities in the future to work with the WTA to promote tennis in Thailand. I would also like to wish our 2018 WTA Future Stars representatives from Thailand all the best at the tournament in Singapore in October.”

The WTA Future Stars Clinic is part of a regional platform to promote tennis among children throughout Asia-Pacific and includes the WTA Future Stars Tournament where each country sends two representatives to compete in the U14 and U16 categories respectively.

Launched in 2014 when the WTA Finals was first hosted in Singapore, the WTA Future Stars tournament started with 12 countries, and in 2018 will bring together players from 21 markets in the Asia-Pacific region.

The WTA Finals, which is the crown-jewel of the WTA calendar, will take place in Singapore from October 21 – 28 2018 where the best in women’s tennis will compete for the year’s biggest prize purse of US$7 million. Players accumulate points throughout the season and the top eight singles players and doubles teams on the Porsche Race to Singapore Leaderboard then compete in the season finale at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore holds Wimbledon viewing party for women's finals

Get the Pimm’s chilling and crates of strawberries ready as Wimbledon fever takes over.

Tennis fans are invited to join in the summer Grand Slam festivities and enjoy free pints and snacks at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global Wimbledon Women’s Finals viewing party, on 14 July 2018 at Harry’s Bar, Boat Quay.

Date:14 July 2018 (Saturday)
Time: 7PM till late
Venue: Harry’s Bar (Boat Quay), Level 2, 28 Boat Quay, 049818

Fans can catch the exciting Wimbledon Women’s Finals match live, test their tennis knowledge by joining the trivia, or participate in a lucky draw. Prizes include VIP hospitality passes to Racquet Club, exclusive access to the Aces Lounge, as well as match tickets to catch the greatest in women’s tennis live at the WTA Finals Singapore.

WTA Finals Singapore 2017 Champion Caroline Wozniacki

Fans dressed in their best Wimbledon whites can also participate in a best dressed competition, and walk away with a racquet autographed by past WTA Finals Singapore qualifiers.

Interested fans can form teams of six and register here. (Seats are limited and registration is on a first-come-first-serve basis).

The final edition of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global takes place from 21 to 28 October 2018 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The WTA Finals is the crown jewel of the WTA calendar, where the world’s greatest eight Singles players and Doubles team battle it out for the US$7 million prize purse and prestigious Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova Trophy.

For more ticketing information, please refer to ANNEX A or visit www.WTAFinals.com.