Two of the greatest European players of all time have thrown down the gauntlet to the rest of the world by committing to play in the inaugural Laver Cup.Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will represent Europe as part of a six-man team to be captained by 11-time Grand Slam champion Bjorn Borg, competing against The World team led by seven-time major winner John McEnroe.

The star-studded line-up joined the legendary Rod Laver in New York on Wednesday to announce their involvement in the tennis world’s newest international competition.

“Rod Laver represents everything that’s great about the sport of tennis, and it’s a privilege to be able to honour his achievements through the Laver Cup,” Federer said.

“I know the players will be keen to compete at the highest level under Rod Laver’s name, and enjoy the chance to team up and play alongside our fiercest competitors. Rafa and I have faced each other across the net countless times … it will be new and exciting to see what we can accomplish together.”

The Laver Cup will be played on one court over three days at the O2 arena in Prague, Czech Republic in September 2017, with a mixture of singles and doubles matches.

The tournament is named in honour of Rod Laver whose achievements in winning the Grand Slam twice (both as an amateur and a professional) have set a benchmark for excellence in world tennis.

LAVER CUP FAST FACTS

• The Laver Cup is three-day tournament pitting a team of the six best tennis players from Europe against six of their counterparts from the rest of the world
• For the first three years Bjorn Borg will captain team Europe and John McEnroe will lead The World
• The tournament has been named in honour of Australian tennis legend and the greatest player of all time, Rod Laver
• The unique format will showcase tennis superstars competing on the same team, pairing up in doubles and cheering each other on from the sidelines
• The first Laver Cup will be held at the O2 arena Prague, Czech Republic, from 22-24 September, 2017
• The location will rotate between major cities in Europe and the rest of the world each year
• The Laver Cup it will be staged annually two weeks after the US Open, except in summer Olympic years