The next evening saw the official opening of the Cup, with a kickoff gala held on Thursday at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Guests walked a black carpet, mimicking the black hard court the Laver Cup uses as its surface.

Federer, with a diamond-and-sapphire embellished Rolex on his wrist, recalled the inaugural edition held in Prague back in 2017.

“One of the most memorable moments for me was that year, the first one,” he said. “Gosh, it was the beginning of the week, probably four days away, and I was wondering, ‘Are the players coming? Are they on planes? Are they dropping out?’ They got there, but then, fast forward, and it’s half an hour before the first match, and I turn to Tony [Godsick] and ask, ‘Is there anyone in the stadium?’ I quickly ran down the corridor and looked behind the curtain, and it was three-quarters full, and I was like phew. We’re there.” There, and then some, nearly a decade later: 2025 is said to be the most in-demand Laver Cup thus far, and its tickets have been sold out for weeks.

Alcaraz, in a sharp double-breasted Louis Vuitton suit, posed with Federer. A few days earlier, the two had played a round of golf. Both athletes are big fans of the sport. “Actually, I made some birdies,” Alcaraz told me. “But my level isn’t that consistent right now. I made a few birdies, but I also made an 8 and a 9. But I made birdies in front of him, so that’s what counts.” On his icy new locks, he’d later say, “I have thought about it for a while, but I didn’t dare do it. I don’t think my house would have allowed it. But, I made a bet that if I won the US Open, it would happen.”

As the gala proceedings ensued, each player would introduce the next on stage. De Minaur brought up Fritz, calling him a great athlete and “a runway model” (which is true, Fritz has walked an Hermès show before). Ruud, who is Norwegian, introduced Holger Rune, who is Danish, saying, “We had battles in Viking times and in current times, on the court.”

All in all, the atmosphere was convivial and close-knit. Andre Agassi, the captain of Team World this year, got the biggest laugh of the night when addressing Federer: “Roger… the last eleven fucking times we played… well, you got lucky.”