Roger Federer fronted up with fellow tennis legends Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe as final team selections were announced for next month’s inaugural edition of the Laver Cup.
The Ryder Cup-style competition will put Borg’s six-man European side against the Rest of the World team coached by McEnroe, Borg’s bitter rival in the 1970s and ’80s.
While Federer’s management company, Team8, is lead organiser of the new competition, to be played in Prague September 22-24, the 19-time grand slam champion is most excited about teaming with long-time rival Rafael Nadal for Europe.
“Finally, after all these years, I get a chance to actually support his forehand, his aggressive play, his everything, his fighting spirit,” the Swiss player said as he took a break from US Open preparation.
“I know Rafa so well, and he’s been a wonderful champion for our sport,” Federer said. “So for us to spend sort of a week together on the same team and exchanging ideas of how we could win the Laver Cup, I think it’s going to be really highly entertaining for both of us.”
Nadal leads the series with Federer 23-14, with the pair first meeting on court in 2004 in the Miami third round.
Next month’s tournament is named in honour of Australian tennis great Rod Laver, the only man to win two calendar-year grand slams.
World number three Federer said the back pain that forced him to miss the Cincinnati event last week is now under control and he is practising well prior to Monday’s Open start.
“Other than the back issue, I’m coming in as good as I can possibly feel, because I have played extremely well and I have not overplayed,” Federer said. 
“I just want to make sure I’m 100 per cent ready when the matches come around here in New York,” he said. “I’m feeling really excited to be here. I’m back on the practise courts. I’m feeling much, much better than a week ago.”
Borg and McEnroe rounded out their team selections, with the Swede adding seventh-ranked German young gun Alexander Zverev to his line-up after the 20-year-old won a second Masters 1000 title this season in Montreal.
He joins Federer, Nadal, former US Open winner Marin Cilic, Austrian Dominic Thiem and Czech Tomas Berdych on the side.
Mac named Argentine Juan Martin del Potro and Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov to his team. The pair join Canadian Milos Raonic and the American trio of John Isner, Jack Sock and Sam Querrey.
“I’m totally honoured to have this particular event named after myself,” Laver said. “I thank a lot of people, but I thank Team8 and Roger Federer. Roger felt, that (early professional tennis) this was something that was important.”
“I’m the throw-back to the past champions,” he said. “It’s a huge honour to be able to have this event as part of today’s world.”
McEnroe paid tribute to Laver, the only man to win two calendar-year grand slams, the last in 1969.
“This man right here, was my idol growing up,” McEnroe said. “We are looking to do something big here along the lines of the Ryder Cup in golf, and I think this is a magnificent way to try to get this going.”
“I’m excited and very happy that I was asked to captain this team for the next three years, the first one being in Prague and then hopefully in New York next year, perhaps, but we’ll see,” he said. “It’s going to be awesome. I think this event is going to grow and grow.”