“I hope Alcaraz plays terribly” – McEnroe wishes to end Laver Cup captaincy stint “on a high”

American John McEnroe is gearing up for his final stint as Team World’s captain at the Laver Cup. McEnroe began in this position with the onset of the event in 2017 and has led the team since then.

Team World didn’t reach the trophy in the first four editions of the annual with the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic taking turns to represent Bjorn Borg-led Team Europe.

In 2022, however, Team World ended their losing streak despite the Big 3 and Andy Murray fighting from the blue corner. They defended the title in 2023 with McEnroe at the helm and the former world No 1 would fancy a three-peat in Berlin this year.

The 65-year-old relies on fellow American Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, and Ben Shelton to do the job. The likes of Alejandro Tabilo, Francisco Cerundolo, and Thanasi Kokkinakis will also fight for his winning farewell.

It would be great to go out on a high.”

John McEnroe

Team World will face tough opposition from Team Europe’s star-studded line up that has Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, Grigor Dimitrov, and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

“We play a very formidable team; we’re up against it each year,” McEnroe said ahead of the 2024 Laver Cup that begins on Friday (September 19).

The departing captain seems to be worried particularly about Alcaraz, who lifted two Grand Slam trophies, in Paris and London, this year and he wishes the young Spaniard misfires.

“I love Carlos, I have to admit … I hope he plays terribly this weekend,” the seven-time Grand Slam champion joked. “He’s the biggest breath of fresh air we’ve had in the sport in ten years.”

McEnroe briefly met the 21-year-old alongside Rod Laver inside the Uber Arena in Berlin and it was all smiles before the fight.

John McEnroe: “I won’t miss the stress too much”

John McEnroe quit singles tennis in 1994 and drew curtains on his doubles career in 2006 but has lived through the thrill of competitive tennis a little more at Laver Cup over the years.

“As you get older, you feel like you get a little more distant from the sport itself, so that’s part of the reason I’ve really enjoyed doing this, because I just feel like a little bit more part of it for a while,” McEnroe said.

That’s exactly what the American hopes to cherish for the rest of his life but not the stressful part of his job.

“You feel the excitement sitting on the bench at the Laver Cup, and being that close, it’s not often I get that chance anymore, very rare, actually, so I’ll miss that,” he said. “I won’t miss the stress too much because all these guys, all 12 players and the substitute players are all very competitive, and so are the coaches,” McEnroe added.

Notably, McEnroe will make way for compatriot Andre Agassi to take over Team World Laver Cup captaincy in 2025.