What happens when you have a luxury automaker, a 20-time Grand Slam champion, and one of tennis’s most celebrated tournaments team up? Well, in San Francisco, the answer is six freshly resurfaced public tennis courts at John McLaren Park.
This is the latest chapter of Neon Legacy, a joint initiative launched in 2021 by Roger Federer and Mercedes-Benz to make tennis more accessible and leave something tangible behind in every host city of the Laver Cup (named after Australian tennis player, Rodney George Laver, who has 11 Grand Slam singles titles to his name).
For the San Francisco project, Neon Legacy partnered with the Laver Cup and the USTA Foundation. Together, they delivered upgrades that follow similar projects in London, Vancouver, and Berlin, and San Francisco now joins a global map of communities benefiting from this model of corporate-athlete collaboration.
Earlier this week, Federer was joined at the event by former professional tennis player and current Laver Cup captain Yannick Noah and San Francisco mayor Daniel Lurie, and several prominent figures from the Bay Area, who cut the ribbon alongside children from local tennis programs. These spaces are meant to inspire the next generation of young athletes who may otherwise have limited access to the sport and also host a series of programs.
“Tennis shaped my life, and I hope this project inspires the next generation.” - Roger Federer , 20-time Grand Slam Champion, Co-founder of the Laver Cup
After the Golden Gate Park, John McLaren Park is San Francisco’s second-largest public park, and before this initiative, its courts needed attention. For local families, these new resurfaced courts and revamped facilities will reduce barriers to entry, and for a luxury brand like Mercedes-Benz, it is making a social impact at the community level. The German automaker is also continuing its tradition of supplying G-Class SUVs as team cars, along with an exclusive shuttle fleet for officials and select guests.
With the 8th Edition of the Laver Cup set for Chase Center this weekend (September 19-21), expect the city to draw international attention, and while the Swiss Maestro’s presence alone has elevated the project’s visibility, the structural changes on the ground should outlast this headline moment.
Images: Mercedes-Benz
