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NITTO ATP FINALS

November 14, 2019

London, England, United Kingdom

THE MODERATOR: Good morning, everyone. I'd like to welcome you all on behalf of the ATP and Tennis Australia for a very exciting morning as the ATP Cup draw was completed overnight in Australia, and we are one step closer to a blockbuster start to the 2020 season.

We have some very special guests here with us today to talk a little bit more about an event that's really received a tremendous amount of attention already. They are legends, they are former World No. 1s, and now they are ATP Cup captains as chosen by the respective No. 1s from their country.

So from Austria, Thomas Muster, as chosen by Dominic Thiem.

(Applause.)

THE MODERATOR: From Germany, Boris Becker, as chosen by Alexander Zverev.

(Applause.)

THE MODERATOR: And from Russia, Marat Safin, as chosen by Daniil Medvedev.

(Applause.)

THE MODERATOR: We are going to talk a little bit more to our captains here in just a moment, but first we have a video to show you to give you a little taste of what we can expect come January.

(Video shown.)

THE MODERATOR: And now I'd like to bring up the ATP executive chairman and president and also the man behind this event, Chris Kermode.

(Applause.)

CHRIS KERMODE: Welcome, everybody. I really won't go on too long because these are the guys you want to be talking to, but just last year we stood, I think, in an auditorium announcing this event, which is certainly one of the most historic events the ATP has ever done.

We believed it from day one. It is going to be a huge, huge event. I said yesterday that I think we will look back in a few years' time and realize how great this event has become and will be.

Start off the season for us, the ATP Tour to start off the season with a huge event, and we bookend the calendar and finish with the Nitto ATP Finals is one of the prime motives for doing this. Creating new events, we can be very dynamic in how we present the sport was key. That was one year ago we announced it.

We have 50 days to go before this event, so the clock is ticking. Yesterday we finally completed the draw with all the teams. Overnight, last night, at about 2:00 in the morning here, we did the draw. The field is set. We are ready to go.

Honestly, this is one of the biggest events that sort of I have been involved with in getting off the ground, and it really is going to be huge.

So please, I ask you, I know there is lots of talk about tennis politics and all of that sort of stuff, but please get behind this event. I genuinely believe we are all in this business together, trying to sell our sport.

This will be global and we want to try to reach new markets, as I said, by presenting it in a different way.

Really, thank you for your continued support, and I will hand you over to these three legends.

Thank you very much.

(Applause.)

THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much, Chris. I'm going to start us off with one question each for our captains, and then we will turn it over to you.

Thomas, starting with you, from a captain's perspective, what are you most looking forward to as we approach the ATP Cup?

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, I think it's a great format. It's a great timing of the year to have it set up. I think it's going to be, as Chris mentioned, an amazing event with the potential to have the greatest of the greatest players to play.

It's the start of the season, so I think it's a great opener.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Thomas.

Boris? We have seen you as a player, as a coach, as a commentator. What is Boris Becker the ATP Cup captain going to look like?

BORIS BECKER: Well, first of all I'm honored that Sascha asked me a while ago to captain the team. I'm also involved in the German Davis Cup team, and we have Davis Cup final next week but it's a different thing.

I very much, in the words of Thomas Muster, this is the great start of the year. I think the timing is key. Everybody wants to come to Australia as early as possible to get the ball going.

This event taking place two weeks, two-and-a-half weeks before the Australian Open is the start for any top player. I think that the players that have entered speak for themselves, and I'm honored to captain the German team.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Boris.

Finally, Marat Safin, you have done many things outside of tennis since retiring. Why was it important for you to be involved back on the ATP Tour with the ATP Cup? And can you talk about the strength of your team coming in?

MARAT SAFIN: Well, why not to be involved in such a great event? And thanks to the guys who choose me as a captain. Hopefully we're going to kick some ass to all of these ones.

And looking forward. I think it's a great start of the year. The guys are pumped, and let's see how it goes.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks so much.

Now we will open it up to all of you.

Q. For Thomas Muster, we miss you in Europe.
THOMAS MUSTER: Did you, really?

Q. And many other people. How is life in Australia? Why do they love so much tennis there?
THOMAS MUSTER: Well, I'm Austrian. I do live in Austria, but I do have a background in Australia, that's true. I have lived there on and off for 20 years.

No, I think the cities that have been chosen to host the events and the groups are great cities. Australia has a natural interest in sport. It doesn't matter whether it's cricket or rugby, tennis, any kind of sport, swimming. So they've got a big passion for sports.

That's why I said the timing is perfect, because the players are coming out of the winter break. They have actually, you know, practiced a lot on their game and different things. It's a first sort of, you know, under the captain that we probably don't have to deal with the players and deal with them all year long, but obviously their coaches are there. So it's a good environment for the teams to get back, grounded for the new season.

You have a few matches that you can play before the Australian Open. It will show us maybe a little bit of the strengths that players, you know, got over the winter period. Some of them have been injured maybe, and they are coming back.

They will be very interesting matches. I'm in Sydney. Obviously, our group is playing Sydney. Looking forward to that. As well, I'm honored to be chosen by our No. 1 player, Dominic Thiem, to be the captain.

Yeah, as everybody else, we will try our best in our group obviously to win, and it's a factor that there are points away from the prize money, but a point factor involved, as well.

Australia is a great country for sport events, and they love it. It's the start of the summer tennis, as we know it, for many, many years. It's a great place to go.

Q. A question for Marat. As someone who had a lot of success at the Australian Open, firstly, what is the key to being successful at the Australian Open? Secondly, do you think the ATP Cup is going to be good preparation for the Australian Open?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, for some reason, Australia worked for me pretty well a few times. First of all, it's a great place. People there are really involved in the sports. They understand sport.

So it's really comfortable environment to play well. The surface is very comfortable for me in my case. Also, now, with the roof, helps a lot to the players.

What else you asked?

Q. ATP Cup.
MARAT SAFIN: Oh, ATP Cup. Of course, actually it's a perfect setup for this event at the beginning of the year, so all the guys are already in Australia and they want to start with a good step in the new year.

Especially I think that team sports helps a lot to prepare better for the Australian Open so they can practice between them, they are in one spot, and rivals.

Yeah, quite interesting placement of the event, beginning of the year. I think it's a good choice, good choice.

Q. Boris, you mentioned another tournament starting next week. Every sport has a World Cup. Do you see this tournament as the World Cup of tennis?
BORIS BECKER: Well, tennis is in a very good place right now. The fact that we have so many new competitions speaks for the interests, speaks for the image and the quality of the players we have.

I mean, this tournament this week shows that you have three legends and three -- well, the rest of the players wanting to get and catch the legends. Some have caught them already anyway this week.

So I think that speaks for the interest for tennis. This format gives players a chance to, in one way, represent their country, another way start the year off with a big bang.

I think the location and timing is key. Everybody comes from the winter break. Everybody wants to get as many matches as possible to start. Why don't you do it for your country?

As my two friends have said, Australia is the ideal country to do so. They have a long history in the sport. The three venues we are playing, Perth, Sydney, and then we are playing in Brisbane, they have tennis tournaments before, so the fans, they understand the game. In our particular case, we start against Australia in Brisbane. We have played them there two years ago. It's an unbelievable arena, and it's great for the sport.

But we don't have one World Cup. We have so many ATP tournaments a year. We have four majors, the ATP Finals. That's the tennis world.

Q. Boris, Sascha has obviously picked you for this competition, but he's not going to represent Germany next week. Just wondering if you are, A, disappointed, being a German fan, that he won't play for you? And especially given the context that he's flying across the world to play exhibitions with Roger Federer in the same week, is that disappointing for you?
BORIS BECKER: Look, he's old enough to make his own decision. He decided amongst a few other players when the decision was made to change the Davis Cup format and to have it in one week next year not to participate.

He's done the decision already a while ago amongst many other players. We accept it.

On the other hand, he's always played for Germany whenever I ask him. He played in the first round against Hungary in Frankfurt the beginning of the year, and he did his bit and he's won his points. He was very excited to play at the ATP Cup, as well.

What he does in his off time, he's his own man. We were all our own boss. What he chooses to do or not to do between the end of the ATP Finals and the beginning of 2020 is his choice.

Q. The opportunity to play multiple top 10 players in the first week of the season is pretty unique for the top guys. From your experience as players, how can that set you up for the rest of the season, having multiple top 10 matches right off the bat? To everyone.
THOMAS MUSTER: Well, as I said before, that's a key point. The next one is that it's at the beginning of the year.

So that sort of brings back to the conclusion of why certain players are not playing at the end of the year at Davis Cup final. It's just because it's late in the season, and players are tired and they have played a lot, and there is not much time between now and the new start of the season.

I think it's a great opportunity because you are playing for points, you are playing for your country, you are playing for prize money. So it's not an exhibition if that's what a lot of people refer to at times. It is a competition. It's at the right time of the year.

MARAT SAFIN: Well, I don't know what to add.

THOMAS MUSTER: Just don't say anything (laughter).

MARAT SAFIN: No, like I said, you are guaranteed three matches, three matches plus you have two groups are playing in the same spot. So you have a chance to practice your ass off day and night and get ready for the beginning of the season, Australian Open.

And to start to win with your team at the beginning of the year, I think it's pretty cool.

BORIS BECKER: Just to add to my friends, I think there is no greater way to get ready for the season but play against the very best. You see the quality this week? It's just great competitors need each other to play better and practice even harder.

I think the fact that, you know, they have three matches, play against the very best, representing your country I think sets the tone, sets the sport. I think we're going to see amazing tennis.

Q. Marat, are you still an MP in the Russian Parliament?
MARAT SAFIN: No, I retired two years ago.

Q. So you're not involved in politics now?
MARAT SAFIN: Not yet (laughter). Maybe at some point. But now, yes, I'm off.

Q. So you're not in the Parliament?
MARAT SAFIN: Yes, I'm not.

Q. Boris, can I get your assessment on Andy Murray's return to fitness in the last couple of weeks? He won the Europe Open and obviously in January he'll be going back to January where this year he thought his career was over. Give us an assessment where he's at, and do you think he can sustain Grand Slam level tennis next year?
BORIS BECKER: I think I agree with everybody that we welcome him back with open arms. It's wonderful news.

When I saw him play the Australian Open this year in the first round, and he couldn't really finish his words because he became really emotional, I really hoped that that wasn't his last match. Injury is always the worst part of an athlete, and for any athlete to retire because of injury is very difficult to take.

So I was really hoping he's going to find a way to fix his hip. He's done that. He's done the rehab. He's done the tournaments. Ultimately he did win his first tournament coming back, which I thought was an amazing feat.

I think the tennis world is very thankful for him to come back and in great form. And how far he's going to go? Who knows?

Q. Boris, we are sitting here four days before the Davis Cup finals starts and we are previewing a similar competition taking place in January. Do you think it's really sustainable these two competitions can continue? What do you think of the idea from some players that these two tournaments should merge at some point?
BORIS BECKER: Look, you can also mention the Laver Cup in September. That's also a team competition.

The good news is there are strong interests in tennis. A lot of people want to participate. A lot of people want to organize. There is a lot of money at stake, a lot of points. That's the good news.

Now, is that the perfect scenario? No. But I don't want to talk about the politics in tennis. I think we are here today to speak about a new competition, a new venture, a new event, which is great.

I'm not responsible for the Davis Cup format, and I'm not responsible for the Laver Cup, either.

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