John McEnroe: “I think an event like this is not only good for the sport, but also for the players”.
The victorious USA Laver Cup captain said team sports are important for everyone
© Zuma / Panoramic
Team World won their second consecutive Laver Cup this weekend in Vancouver, making short work of Team Europe. A 13-2 victory for John McEnroe’s men was sealed by Sunday’s doubles victory by Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe, the two American friends, over the European pair of Hubert Hurkacz and Andrey Rublev.
Both on the court and in the dressing room, Team World were all smiles as they savoured their second straight Laver Cup title. At the press conference, captain John McEnroe explained that he had the highest regard for this team competition, which brings players together and delights tennis fans.
“A team event like this I think is not only good for the sport, it’s good for the players in a way that they are able to sort of get together and rally around. Because a lot of tournaments it’s like an unwritten rule, you can’t root for anyone, you’ve just got to worry about yourself.. These team events take even more importance in my mind, to be able to do this and do it successfully, and that’s what we proved this year.”
TAYLOR FRITZ: “AS A TEAM, YOU GET MORE OUT OF IT”
Made up mainly of friends from the circuit, including Americans Taylor Fritz, Shelton, Tiafoe and Chris Eubanks, Team World beat a Team Europe side that is in the midst of restructuring.
McEnroe’s team didn’t hesitate to break out the champagne in the dressing room to celebrate their second consecutive title as a team. It was a moment of conviviality that greatly pleased Fritz, who is unaccustomed to this kind of communion on the ATP circuit.
“It’s great to go back to back, and now we all want to come back next year and do it all again. This spot is amazing,” he said.
“It’s just different as opposed to when you’re on the tour playing by yourself and you win something, it’s just not the same as this. When you win something with all these guys and all your close friends, you get to celebrate it. You get to enjoy it a lot more, I guess.
“You’ve just got to enjoy it more because you never get situations like this where you can all celebrate as a group and enjoy it together. It’s just so much fun.”
