The Laver Cup has elevated itself as one of the most iconic and recognisable trophies in the Tennis calendar.
The bespoke trophy was handcrafted by Royal Warrant holders as goldsmiths and silversmiths to His Majesty King Charles III, Thomas Lyte. Founded by “Rocket” Rod Laver and Roger Federer, the Laver Cup was created in honour of the incredible career of it’s namesake.
Follow on as we journey into exploring the competition’s history, the crafting of the custom trophy, and the mini replicas gifted to each of the champions.
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Created in recognition of Rod Laver’s remarkable tennis career, the Laver Cup was envisioned and developed during a collaboration between tennis icons Laver and Federer. The purpose of the tournament was to bring tennis rivals together from across the globe. An exclusive men’s event, the Laver Cup features 12 of the world’s best players for a 12-match showdown scheduled over three days.
A mixture of singles and doubles matches, Team Europe and Team World take to the courts vying for the chance to lift the famous Laver Cup trophy. Each team has a legendary captain to mentor the players through the tournament. For many years, Björn Borg and John McEnroe captained Team Europe and Team World, respectively. With Yannick Noah and Andre Agassi taking the helm from 2025.
Thomas Lyte were commissioned in 2018 to handcraft a trophy for the inaugural Laver Cup tournament. The purpose of the new addition to the tennis calendar was to honour the life and career of “Rocket” Rod Laver. Throughout his career, Laver was a heavyweight in tennis, known for his incredible speed and a powerful left forehand. Remarkably, Rod Laver is the only man to win all four tennis grand slams in one calendar year, during the Open era.
The team at our London workshops seized the opportunity to honour a tennis player widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time. We crafted a momentous trophy with many features recognising Rod Laver’s career accolades.
Most notably, the trophy was crafted from molten metal taken directly from one of Laver’s early singles trophies. Won at the US Pro Tennis Championships, our master goldsmiths and silversmiths melted down the 1967 New England Merchant Bank Trophy. The molten metal was then forged with sterling silver to create the new trophy. Thus, Rod Laver’s elite legacy lives on in the Laver Cup.
From conceptual design, to it’s gleaming final form, the Laver Cup, designed by Thomas Lyte in collaboration with London design agency, Dreamwerk, was imagined to reflect the glittering career of tennis great, Rod Laver. Encircling the top rim of the trophy are 200 notches. Each notch represents Rod Laver’s titles throughout his remarkable career. Equally, the plinth of the trophy features two sets of four rings. These rings were spun into the plinth band to represent Laver’s Grand Slam wins, in 1962 and 1969, respectively.
The handles of the trophy are a signifier of the unity that tennis, and Laver, brings to the sport. Reflecting the tournament’s values, the arms curve around the trophy’s body, characterising the journey of rivals becoming teammates.
Finally, an expert engraving depicts the world map on the body of the trophy. Hand-crafted from solid sterling silver, the body was hand-shaped to suggest the shape of a rocket. A fitting tribute to the nickname, “Rocket” Rod Laver.
Handcrafted at our purpose-built London workshops, the Laver Cup remains one of the most iconic silhouettes to leave the benches of our master craftsmen. Each aspect of the design allowed for seamless craft, resulting in a trophy of significant stature and presence.
Weighing in at a robust 14kg, and standing at 25in/66cm tall, this sterling silver heavyweight is a sight to behold. Its imposing stature is met in equal measure by its beauty of design. The arms hold the trophy’s body aloft, as though it weighs nothing, with the body of the trophy suspended in a permanent state of “lift-off”.
Our world-class team of master goldsmiths and silversmiths dedicated more than 400 hours to production, and the resulting trophy stands proudly as one of tennis’ great icons.
Tennis is predominantly an individual sport, with the individual players mostly vying for accolades on their own. Camaraderie can be found in doubles tournaments, however singles tournaments across the world have thrown up great rivalries. Over the years, the Laver Cup has seen many legendary participants and captains take to the stage. However, the purpose of the competition is to quell those feuds, and join some of the world’s greats together.
Teamwork is the nucleus of the Laver Cup, and as such, it would not be fitting for one singular player or captain to take home the trophy. At Thomas Lyte, we developed small-scale versions of the Laver Cup trophy, so that each player in the winning team had their own custom keepsake.
The Laver Cup marks the beginning of Thomas Lyte’s entry into the annual tennis programme. While showcasing many of the season’s new champions, it holds special significance in it’s purpose of uniting the world of men’s tennis after a fierce, 9 month schedule.
Enter Thomas Lyte. Our influence in tennis travels across the globe, to some of the most prestigious tournaments of the calendar. Following the Laver Cup comes the WTA Finals, marking the end of the WTA season. Uniting the world’s top 8 players, the winners will lift a Thomas Lyte made trophy, named after tennis great, Billie Jean King.
A legend of tennis in the women’s game, the eponymous Billie Jean King Cup competition is closely followed by the ATP Finals. Thomas Lyte are the designers and makers of a full suite of trophies for the finals. From the Nitto ATP Singles and Doubles, to the ATP No. 1 Singles and Doubles, Thomas Lyte have taken centre stage at the event since becoming Official Silverware Partners of the competition back in 2021.
The penultimate competition of the year sees lifted the distinctive Davis Cup trophy. Sitting on a three-tiered plinth, the trophy is hard to miss when visiting our London workshops for restoration and engraving. Last but not least, the United Cup is the final competition of the calendar, or the very start of the new season, depending how you look at it. It bridges the new year, by starting in December and finishing in January. The trophy is a firm favourite with our team. A truly eye-catching piece of bespoke silverware, befitting the sporting spectacle down under.
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