Tennis royalty has gathered in London to unveil the sport's newest trophy, the Laver Cup.P
Australian great Rod Laver, after which the team event is named, along with Team Europe spearhead Roger Federer and Rest of the World captain John McEnroe put their hands on the hand-crafted trophy for the first time.P
The silverware includes molten metal from one of the first trophies and design elements from all four of the grand slam trophies Laver won during his unrivalled professional career.P
Shaped to reflect Laver's "Rocket" moniker, the Laver Cup handles are curved, coming together to signify rivals becoming teammates.P
A winner of more than 200 trophies worldwide and the only man to have completed two calendar-year grand slam sweeps, Laver said he was humbled to learn the silverware required about 400 hours of craftmanship.P
"Every win, of course, had its significance during my career but to see them represented collectively so beautifully all these years later is extremely special," he said on Thursday.P
Federer, Rafael Nadal and Austrian young gun Dominic Thiem have already committed to the event, representing Europe in the first tie to be held in Prague on September 22-24.P
American John Isner and Canadian Milos Raonic have committed to the Rest of the World, with officials hoping Australian No.1 Nick Kyrgios will also play.P
"Competing for the Laver Cup will be something truly special," said Federer, an 18-time grand slam champion.P
"When you win a title that the great Rod Laver also won, it's wonderful to know that you've shared in those same experiences and that same legacy.P
"But the Laver Cup is even more magical. It would be a tremendous privilege to lift a trophy that features a real part of Rod's incredible legacy."
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