The tennis world is ready to let it Ryde’.
The inaugural Laver Cup, a takeoff on golf’s Ryder Cup, will begin Friday in Prague with Team Europe facing Team World in a star-studded, three-day show.
Surprisingly, Roger Federer, coming off his disappointing U.S. Open in which his play was impaired by back troubles, will sit out Day 1. Federer’s camp was a major financial backer for the new event.
Captained by John McEnroe, Team World is made up of players from North and South America and Australia. McEnroe is trying to bring the Laver Cup next year to New York but a source said Boston is the front-runner. Bjorn Borg is captaining Team Europe.
In the opening match Friday, American prodigy Frances Tiafoe, a late replacement for Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro, will face Team Europe’s Marin Cilic.
Sources told The Post Federer and Rafael Nadal, in unprecedented fashion, will be paired in doubles for Team Europe during the event.
On Day 1, Europe will have Nadal play with local hero Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic against American Jack Sock and Australian Nick Kyrgios.
“We hope to play well — it’ll be the first time that we’ve played together. And here we are, in the hometown of Tomas, so it’s going to be exciting,” said Nadal, who won the U.S. Open less than two weeks ago.
The other two singles matches will have Team Europe’s Dominic Thiem facing American John Isner and Germany’s up-and-comer, Alexander Zverev against Team World’s Denis Shapovalov, the exciting 18-year-old from Canada who made a splash at his first U.S. Open.