Laver Cup getting official status from men's tennis tour

LONDON - The Laver Cup is getting official status from the men's tennis tour.

The ATP says it has reached an agreement to make the tournament an official part of the yearly calendar, although no ranking points will be awarded to competitors.

Roger Federer and his management team played a key role in the creation of the Laver Cup, which is in its third year and pits a team from Europe against players from the rest of the world in a Ryder Cup-style event.

Federer says ''It's wonderful to know that the Laver Cup will be part of the tour that I've dedicated more than 20 years of my life to. This partnership is a wonderful example of how the tennis family can unite to promote and grow the sport we all love.''

As part of the arrangement, the ATP will offer marketing and promotional help, along with providing chair umpires and trainers.

The competition is named after Rod Laver, an Australian tennis great who is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his second Grand Slam of winning all four majors in the same year.

This year's Laver Cup will be held in Geneva from Sept. 20-22.