Our History
The Birth of an Idea
The idea began to take shape in 2019. The question arose: should an athlete’s competitive career really come to an end around the age of 35? At that time, we had just organized the ATP Champions Tour event, Svaneholm Open. It was held on a beautifully constructed grass court next to a castle in southern Sweden, where legendary figures like John McEnroe, Mats Wilander, Henri Leconte, Patrick McEnroe, Goran Ivanišević, Jonas Björkman, Mark Woodforde, and Cédric Pioline played and joked around. The event was a local success and laid the foundation for an idea—an idea that everything could be much bigger.
Svaneholm Open 2019
A Vision Takes Shape
During the pandemic, the concept of creating something truly grand began to take root. The vision was for a global tournament in a new format: a team competition featuring short, intense matches, 100% competitive spirit, substantial prize money, and players who had only recently retired from the ATP Tour.
Thus, the idea of the Legends Team Cup was born.
The First Steps
In the fall of 2019, in the basement of the Royal Albert Hall, I met Tommy Haas and Radek Štěpánek, who were there to play in an exhibition tournament. I presented the idea to them, and both were immediately enthusiastic. We decided to select 10 players and two team captains.
After a few conversations with our chosen captains, Ivan Lendl and Pat Cash, we set the stage. The selected players would be distributed through a draft, much like the NHL. The draft was held at Hurlingham during Wimbledon, where the captains picked their players one by one.
Team Lendl consisted of Lleyton Hewitt, Tommy Haas, Radek Štěpánek, David Ferrer, and Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Team Cash featured David Nalbandian, Tomáš Berdych, Marcos Baghdatis, Tommy Robredo, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
A Historic First Tournament
The tournament took place in the stunning Pula, Croatia, inside the spectacular Amphitheatre, and it was a resounding success. Our partner, the Istrian Tourism Board, built an extraordinary court inside the Amphitheatre. The players were intensely focused throughout the three-day event, with the captains coaching vigorously. In the end, Team Lendl emerged as the well-deserved winner. The concept and format of the competition were praised by players, captains, spectators, partners, and organizers alike.
Building a Global Legacy
With this foundation, we dedicated the entirety of 2023 and 2024 to shaping a global tour, developing a television concept, and establishing partnerships. After years of stimulating and hard work, we are now ready for a full season.
A New Beginning
The Legends Team Cup is set to become the next step in the journey for the world’s greatest tennis stars. Life doesn’t end at 35—it begins.
We invite partners, sponsors, destinations around the globe, collaborators, and, most importantly, the world’s legendary tennis players to join us in something new, exciting, and truly inspiring. This is not just a continuation; it’s the start of a thrilling new chapter in the history of tennis.
