Team World Captain John McEnroe is set to helm his squad for the seventh and final time at the upcoming Laver Cup. The iconic American tennis legend aims to sign off his captaincy with a historic third consecutive victory, before passing the leadership baton to fellow American icon, Andre Agassi.
“It would be great to go out on a high note,” McEnroe, the fiery left-hander, stated, reflecting on his tenure. He has been at the Laver Cup’s inception in 2017 and has successfully guided Team World to two memorable wins. Now, he is eager to inspire his team “one last time” to overcome the formidable Team Europe.
Acknowledging the challenge, McEnroe conceded, “We play a very formidable team; we’re up against it each year.” He noted the dominance of European players, with nine out of the world’s top ten hailing from Europe, underscoring the uphill battle Team World consistently faces.
McEnroe’s focus is on maximizing his players’ potential throughout the three-day tournament. He emphasizes the unique Laver Cup format, with its escalating points system, which injects a distinct level of excitement and pressure. “You can never relax, and often, it comes down to that last day where more is at stake,” he explained, highlighting the thrilling unpredictability of the event.
Throughout his Laver Cup captaincy, McEnroe has shared his vast tennis wisdom with a roster of talented Team World players. This impressive list includes names like Nick Kyrgios, John Isner, Jack Sock, Denis Shapovalov, Diego Schwartzman, Francisco Cerundolo, Milos Raonic, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Reilly Opelka, Tommy Paul, and Ben Shelton.
“They all have their own coaches, [but] you try to add that little bit during that week,” McEnroe elaborated on his coaching approach. “Anytime they want to ask me something, get some advice, I’d be more than happy to try to help out,” he affirmed, emphasizing his role as a supplementary mentor rather than a primary coach.
Discussing the dynamics of bringing a team together for a short, high-stakes event, McEnroe shared his insights: “When you try to bring a group together for a short period of time, you’ve got to feel it out and realize the guys that are going to lead a little more, the guys that want to stand back, and some like to get more advice, some like to give more advice … it’s a great learning experience,” he reflected, highlighting the unique team-building aspect of the Laver Cup.
John McEnroe celebrates Team World's Laver Cup victory in London
John McEnroe joyfully lifts the Laver Cup trophy after Team World’s triumph at the O2 Arena in London in 2022.
Looking back at his Laver Cup highlights, McEnroe fondly recalls the two occasions Team World clinched victory and hoisted the coveted trophy. These triumphant moments occurred in London in 2022 and Vancouver in 2023. He specifically praised Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime as the “MVP” of the London victory, acknowledging his crucial doubles win and his stunning singles upset over Novak Djokovic, which were instrumental in breaking Team World’s four-year losing streak.
“It was absolutely huge to finally get over the hump and win one,” McEnroe reminisced, emphasizing the significance of that breakthrough victory. “We were very close a couple of other times,” he added, recalling the narrow defeats in Prague in 2017 and Chicago in 2018, highlighting the persistent competitiveness of Team World despite past losses.
“I think we’ve always had a good team spirit,” McEnroe stated, underlining a key element of Team World’s identity. He maintained an optimistic outlook even after the heavy defeat in Boston in 2021, where Team Europe dominated 14-1. “It was closer than the score indicated,” he argued, pointing to the fact that his team narrowly lost five of six Laver breakers that weekend, demonstrating their fighting spirit despite the scoreline.
Turning his attention to the upcoming Laver Cup in Berlin, McEnroe humorously expressed his hopes for Team Europe’s star player, Carlos Alcaraz. “I love Carlos, I have to admit… I hope he plays terribly this weekend. He’s the biggest breath of fresh air we’ve had in the sport in ten years,” McEnroe chuckled, showcasing his admiration for Alcaraz while playfully hoping for an off-week from the young Spaniard for the sake of Team World’s chances.
Looking beyond his own captaincy and the Berlin event, McEnroe is confident about the future of the Laver Cup. “I believe in the event,” he declared, describing his initial decision to be involved as “a no-brainer.” He sees the Laver Cup as a valuable addition to the tennis tour.
“It’s an event that has added some spark to the tour, I think the players love it, it’s been very competitive,” he concluded, emphasizing the positive impact of the Laver Cup on the world of tennis.
As the final point is played on Sunday in Berlin, McEnroe will step down from his role as Team World Captain. The seven-time major champion admitted that he will miss the unique camaraderie and mentorship opportunities the Laver Cup environment provides. As a commentator, he lacks the same close interaction with players, making the Laver Cup experience particularly special.
John McEnroe visits US Embassy in Berlin with Team World
John McEnroe, Team World Captain, pictured at the US Embassy in Berlin with brother Patrick McEnroe, Frances Tiafoe, and Taylor Fritz during the Laver Cup 2024.
“These players are younger than most of my kids,” he remarked, highlighting the generational connection he feels with the Team World players. “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 explained, revealing a personal motivation for his Laver Cup involvement.
“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 confessed, expressing a genuine sentiment about what he will miss most about the captaincy.
“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 with a touch of humor, acknowledging the intense competitive nature of the event.
Looking ahead, McEnroe is confident in his successor, Andre Agassi, an eight-time Grand Slam champion, taking over the Team World reins. “Andre is going to do a great job,” he predicted, describing the 54-year-old Agassi as “smart, charismatic and a legend of the game.”
Recalling his early impressions of Agassi, McEnroe shared, “I played him when he was 16 or 17, he had that personality, and you just knew something big was going to happen.” He recognized Agassi’s special quality even at a young age. “He has that special quality that people love,” McEnroe stated, confident that Agassi will bring his own unique approach to the captaincy.
“He’s probably more analytic-driven than I am…players are going to love him as well,” McEnroe speculated on Agassi’s captaincy style. “It’s going to be fun to watch from more of a distance the next couple of years,” McEnroe concluded, expressing his excitement to witness the next chapter of Laver Cup under Agassi’s leadership from a different perspective.
