After surprising last year, Team World confirmed at the Laver Cup 2023 that they have become the team to beat. Their 13-2 thrashing of the blue team put a smile on everyone’s faces, especially the genuine captain, John McEnroe.
JOHN McENROE
“On behalf of the entire Team World, I am proud of these guys. We put together a very young and experienced team, guys who had been here before, they all played really well. It’s been an incredible week, we kicked some butt, I say that fondly, but that’s what we did. Now we are already thinking about next year, because you know, winning is always much better than losing. We fought hard for the first few years and now we have finally tasted what victory tastes like. The truth is that it feels great, so thanks to these guys and also to my brother, my right hand for all these years.”
“All of these guys have people around them, so I tried to figure out what motivates each of them in a very short period of time. If only he could add that little bit these days, it was enough, bringing some energy and passion to his daily life. I think the guys already know what the event is, they know that I love it and I believe a lot in the format. I hope it has great success in the future, that’s what it’s all about, we have to nurture it a lot so that it continues for many more years. Even when I’m gone.”
“All the players we have, including our substitutes, stepped up and won that game in the end, it turned out they have formed a great combination. What Taylor has said is very appropriate, a team event like this is not only good for the sport, it is also good for the players in the sense that they can come together and unite. Because in many tournaments it’s like an unwritten rule: you can’t rely on anyone, you only have to worry about yourself. In my opinion, these team events are even more important to do all this and do it successfully, that is what we demonstrated in this edition.”
BEN SHELTON
“Everything I’ve experienced here this week has been crazy, I really enjoyed playing for Team World, playing for Johnny Mac has been incredible. I really enjoyed the whole weekend, having been chosen by the team, for me it has been a dream. Being able to score points for Team World is something I could never have imagined, so I really appreciate that the two captains trusted me. Having won the title at the end of the week leaves me with a great feeling.”
FÉLIX AUGER-ALIASSIME
“I feel good, every time I play for a team I feel good, I feel like I play at a good level. Of course, I always have a great time here. On tour it’s different, you play singles all the time, it can get a bit lonely, so having teammates sometimes is something really special. This year I had a great time again. Like Mac said, winning is always the best feeling. It’s good to come back a year after what we did in London and win here in Vancouver. It’s what we wanted to do since we got here, and we did it. We got behind it, we took on the challenge and we made it happen.”
FRAN CERUNDOLO
“I’m super happy, I want to thank John and Patrick, all the guys, because I’m the only one far from the United States or Canada. They made me feel like one of them from the first day. I’m really happy to be here, to be part of the team and score points. It was really a good experience for me and I enjoyed it a lot. I hope that now the boys like Argentina a little more.”
FRANCES TIAFOE
“It is a special event, very special. It’s amazing what they came up with to organize this event. I have a lot of love for Rod Laver and Roger Federer, they are legends, but also what is behind them. You have to be a teammate to create this event, get the guys together. There was no real team tournament beyond the Davis Cup, which is now a different event, so this is incredible. To be part of this, to be back to back with John and Björn, to experience their friendship-rivalry, is something incredible. “I’m happy to be a part of this and win some big games.”
TAYLOR FRITZ
“It is incredible to win again after what happened last year, that is one of the best memories I have since playing tennis. We wanted to repeat everything in this edition and we have achieved it. It’s great to do it again, now we all want next year to come and do it again, this is an amazing tournament. It’s different than when you’re on tour alone and you win something, it’s just not the same. When you win something with all these guys and your close friends, you can celebrate. I guess it’s much more enjoyable. That’s the most important thing in team tournaments, you have to enjoy them much more because you can’t always celebrate things as a group, it’s much more fun.”
2023-09-25 06:58:54
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