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LAVER CUPSeptember 18, 2019Bjorn BorgRoger FedererJohn McEnroeRafael NadalGeneva, Switzerland LAVER CUP WELCOME THE MODERATOR: Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, in Geneva. The whole world is looking to Switzerland and Geneva. It's the biggest tennis tournament we ever had. I hope you're all excited, right? We are going to have the best week ever in Switzerland and Geneva, and we have the best players from Europe and best players from The World. It's a great pleasure to welcome now, first, the team captains. You all know he's a legend, 170 weeks World No. 1. This is the captain of the Team World. Welcome, John McEnroe. (Applause.) THE MODERATOR: John, you shouldn't be shy. You just have to come up. This is the crowd for you. Welcome in Switzerland, John. Do you think long time about the strategy how you want to beat Team Europe? They're not listening. You can just tell it. CAPTAIN JOHN McENROE: Well, you know, I have never been accused of being shy. We are excited to be here. But as far as strategy, we are getting together later today and we are going to try to come up with a plan because we have been so close. This year we want to get over the hump and win. THE MODERATOR: So you don't want to tell us how you want to beat Team Europe? CAPTAIN JOHN McENROE: It's better to leave a few things unsaid. A little mystery in life, right? THE MODERATOR: Of course. We like mystery. Let me ask. Maybe he wants to give us a little bit from his strategy. CAPTAIN JOHN McENROE: He usually does. THE MODERATOR: Let's see if he wants or not. Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, he is 109 weeks No. 1, also one of the greatest players of all time. He's the captain from Team Europe. Please welcome Björn Borg. (Applause.) THE MODERATOR: You know this place. You have been a favorite here already. You said you're nervous about all these guys. Are you happy now that it's getting ready? CAPTAIN BJÖRN BORG: I'm happy to be here, first of all. Like you said, we were here in February/March to promote Laver Cup. It's a couple more days and then we start on Friday. I'm happy that Laver Cup, the event started, because I think everybody feels a little bit pressure. We'd like to defend our title, but I know it's going to be very difficult because Team World have a strong team. I think it's going to be a lot of great matches. So we look forward to the event. THE MODERATOR: Any word about the strategy to John? Not really, eh? CAPTAIN BJÖRN BORG: Not really. Strategy, like John said, we have the afternoon and see who is going to play. But we have a good strategy, anyway. We'll see what's going to happen, but I think it's going to be another great Laver Cup. THE MODERATOR: We hope so. We will have the best Laver Cup ever. Thank you very much, Björn Borg. I will see you in a few seconds. John, you can stay with me. Let me introduce your team. I want to introduce the Team World. Ladies and gentlemen, we want to give him a great week. He's the vice-captain, Patrick McEnroe. (Applause.) THE MODERATOR: 25 years old from Australia, please welcome Jordan Thomas. (Applause.) THE MODERATOR: He's the mixed Olympic winner from Rio 2016, Jack Sock. (Applause.) THE MODERATOR: He's only 20 years old, and he knows the Laver Cup. We welcome Denis Shapovalov. (Applause.) THE MODERATOR: He's the first time at the Laver Cup, and welcome, from the U.S., Taylor Fritz. (Applause.) THE MODERATOR: He said the Laver Cup is my favorite week of the year. Here he is, Nick Kyrgios. (Applause.) THE MODERATOR: We will give him a great week. From Canada, please welcome Milos Raonic. (Applause.) THE MODERATOR: It's the third time at the Laver Cup, the tallest. Please welcome John Isner. (Applause.) THE MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, please have a look. Give a warm Geneva, Switzerland, welcome. This is Team World. (Applause.) THE MODERATOR: So let me introduce Team Europe. The vice-captain, former World No. 4 from Sweden, Thomas Enqvist. (Applause.) THE MODERATOR: First-time World No. 10, please welcome Roberto Bautista Agut. (Applause.) THE MODERATOR: He's the winner of Monte-Carlo. From Italy, Fabio Fognini. (Applause.) THE MODERATOR: He is 21 years old, may be a rising star. This is Stefanos Tsitsipas. (Applause.) THE MODERATOR: He played and won already in Geneva this year, and he never lost a single Laver Cup match. Alexander Zverev. (Applause.) THE MODERATOR: World No. 5 from Austria, Dominic Thiem. (Applause.) THE MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, he just won the US Open a few weeks ago, 19-time Grand Slam winner. This is Rafael Nadal. (Applause.) THE MODERATOR: Rafael, welcome to Geneva. Everyone is super excited about the week. I hope you too? RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, of course. Always a pleasure to be here in Geneva and playing the Laver Cup. Have been a great experience two years ago in Prague. And playing here in Europe, in Geneva again, will be amazing. Have a great team around. Very tough team in front. So let's see. THE MODERATOR: You were here a few days. Did you have time to get to know each other a little bit, to hang around in the bar a bit in the evening? What did you do besides training? RAFAEL NADAL: Well, of course we tried to speak with the team, to be together, to create a good team spirit. At the end of the day it's important to have good confidence between each other, so that's what we are trying to make that happen. THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much, Rafa Nadal. Very nice that Rafa, he took a friend with him. Next, ladies and gentlemen, this is a person who said we are going to have the best week ever in Switzerland, in Geneva. We all do it for these teams. Please welcome Roger Federer. (Applause.) THE MODERATOR: Roger, you said Team World is a little bit crazy and loud. You're loud too? Crazy too? A little bit more Team World? ROGER FEDERER: They're crazy good. I like their craziness. It's all good. I think they're good guys. They have been great the last two Laver Cups. We had a great rivalry. Laver Cup is not very old, but I feel like it's already all happening. I'm happy to see all the guys here in Switzerland, in my home country. I love being back in Geneva. We have such a strong team again this year. I'm very, very happy and excited about the weekend. THE MODERATOR: For you, it will be the best week hopefully in Switzerland, because third time Laver Cup, first time in Switzerland, it's more of a dream for you coming through? ROGER FEDERER: Absolutely. It's definitely going to be one of those weeks I will forever remember. I have played in some incredible matches, arenas, places, but I think this is going to be going down for me as a very emotional, cool weekend. I hope the match is going to be there for that and I hope the fans are going to have the best time. I know we will give it all we have. It's incredibly exciting to be here right now. THE MODERATOR: A great week. Thank you very much, Roger Federer. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Team Europe. Please give them as loud welcome as you can for Team Europe. (Applause.) THE MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the man whose honor this event was created, the only player to win 200 career titles and the calendar year Grand Slam not just once but twice. He said he takes off the hat for all these players, but I think we take off the hat. Here he is already. That's the big applause for him, for Mr. Rod Laver, ladies and gentlemen. (Applause.) THE MODERATOR: Rod Laver, thank you very much for being here. Now please welcome the council member, City of Geneva, Mr. Sami Kanaan. (Applause.) FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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