SAN DIEGO, California, July 26 AAP - Tennis great Rod Laver praised Pat Rafter as a great champion and predicted his rise to the number one ranking would drive other Australians to play even harder.

A year after suffering a life threatening stroke, Laver, 61, appeared at a celebrity charity event at the Los Angeles Tennis Centre tonight to launch the Mercedes Benz Cup.

The only player in history to win two tennis Grand Slams was thrilled with the news that a fellow Aussie was again on top.

"To see Patrick become number one is a great credit to him because he's worked hard for many many years with no frills and now all of a sudden he's there and he's confident and is playing well," Laver said.

"He's a great champion."

Laver predicted Rafter's elevation to number one would lift the play of other Australians as it had done during his era.

"It seemed like there was a never ending stream of good players coming out (back then).

It stopped there for a while and Patrick proved it can be done again," he said.

"Whether it's Lleyton Hewitt or Philippoussis, they all push each other along and you will see that happening in Australia over the next two or three years."

Laver was honoured at the event tonight by the Association of Tennis Professionals with a lifetime achievement award which was presented by Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras.

"He's a class act," said Sampras.

"He's always been kind of my idol as a kid."

Laver, 61, suffered a stroke during a television interview with the US sports network ESPN at a hotel in Los Angeles on July 27, 1998.

After a year of intense physical therapy he speaks without any difficulty and is back playing tennis and golf.

"I feel very fortunate to be back where I am.

It was a severe stroke and I worked pretty hard to pull myself through it," Laver said.

"My right side is still not fully active but I can still play tennis and that's my therapy at the moment."