Carlos Alcaraz praises the ‘privilege’ of spending time with Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe at the Laver Cup | ATP Tour

Making Cup

Alcaraz values ​​the ‘privilege’ of spending time with Borg, McEnroe and Laver in Berlin

The Spaniard is part of Team Europe in the Laver Cup

September 19, 2024

Team Europe is presenting an unbeatable candidate in its attempt to regain glory at the Laver Cup.

Five Top 10 figures in the PIF ATP Rankings will defend the blue colours this year under the captaincy of Björn Borg in the team event. The Swedish legend, who will captain Team Europe for the seventh and final time, was in high spirits on Thursday in Berlin, where his team will attempt to lift the Laver Cup crown for the first time since 2021.

“The last two years I left very disappointed. But this time, look at this team,” Borg said during the European team’s press conference. “I don’t think we’re going to lose this time. It’s going to be one of the good years.”

“I’m happy to see these guys. Some of them have played the Laver Cup several times. We always have a great atmosphere. Being here with these guys is fantastic. We’ll see some good tennis and some great matches. The World Team is tough, they play really well. They did great at the US Open. But I think we have a good chance.”

Enjoying his 1st @LaverCup 😏

👋 @carlosalcaraz 👋 pic.twitter.com/wDXWBj1WMn

— ATP Tour in Spanish (@ATPTour_ES) September 19, 2024

For the first time, Borg will be able to count on the talents of Carlos Alcaraz at the Laver Cup. The Spaniard will make his tournament debut on Friday night in Berlin, partnering Alexander Zverev in the first doubles match of the weekend. Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, Grigor Dimitrov and Stefanos Tsitsipas complete the Team Europe line-up.

Having extended his Grand Slam collection to four titles by triumphing at Roland Garros and Wimbledon this season, Alcaraz is establishing himself as a modern legend of the sport. Nevertheless, at just 21 years of age, he is ready to learn as much as possible in the company of tennis legends such as Borg, John McEnroe and Rod Laver.

“For me, it’s a privilege to be surrounded by Bjorn, McEnroe, Rod Laver… legends of our sport who have reached the top,” said Alcaraz. “I will try to learn from them by having them so close at the Laver Cup. It’s a beautiful tournament that I will try to enjoy to the fullest.”

“We are used to fighting each other in the other events. In this tournament we are going to encourage each other. It is going to be something very nice that I will try to enjoy. I must try to learn from all of them as much as possible.”

Alcaraz could turn to his doubles partners for advice on how to deal with the pressure at the Laver Cup. Zverev, who leads the circuit with 56 match wins in 2024, is making his fifth appearance at the tournament, a record for Team Europe.

“It’s a very special event,” Zverev said. “It’s very different from the tournaments we usually play in, but we should all enjoy it together. We should enjoy having the best players on our team. We usually see each other in the final rounds of tournaments, we want to beat each other, we want to do everything we can to win. Here we will be one team and we have one goal: to win the Laver Cup.”

“It doesn’t matter who is on the court. As a team, we will have full confidence in that person. I’m happy to be a part of that.”