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Tennis icon Roger Federer made quite an entrance on the second day of the 2023 Laver Cup. Accompanying him were two of NBA's all-time greats: Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, as well as British rock legends Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland from Coldplay.
Their collective appearance added significant star power to the event, making headlines and drawing massive attention. Day one of the event saw Team World rising to the occasion. Stellar singles performances from Ben Shelton, Francisco Cerundolo, and Felix Auger-Aliassime gave the team a significant advantage.
This dominance was further solidified by the duo Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe, who secured a victory against Team Europe's Arthur Fils and Andrey Rublev. Team World established an assertive 4-0 lead by the end of the inaugural day's session.
Team Europe's Resilient Comeback
However, Team Europe wasn't about to go down without a fight. Day two saw Casper Ruud striking back with a win over Tommy Paul. As this played out, tennis great Federer sat flanked by basketball legends – Nowitzki from the Dallas Mavericks and Canadian basketball star Nash.
It's worth noting that both Nowitzki and Nash are avid tennis fans, evident from their appearance on the Indian Wells practice courts earlier this year. Adding to the celebrity tally, Martin and Buckland from Coldplay were spotted at the event.
Their bond with Federer is well-known in entertainment circles. In fact, Federer had been a special guest at Coldplay's "Music of the Spheres World Tour" in Zurich, where he even had a singing stint alongside the band. Reflecting on the Laver Cup's progression, Team World wrapped up day two leading 6-2.
At the Laver Cup, during an on-court interview with tennis veteran Jim Courier, Federer reminisced about his surprise musical performance with Coldplay. Federer chuckled, recalling how his daughter encouraged him to take the stage in Zurich.
“She told me, ‘You only live once, papa. Go for it!’. " Federer said. "It was a memorable experience. I finished on a high note, literally dropped the mic, marking the pinnacle of my brief music career”.