LAVER CUP

September 26, 2021

Andrey Rublev

Matteo Berrettini

Casper Ruud

Feliciano Lopez

Press Conference

Team Europe - 14

Team World - 1

TEAM EUROPE

THE MODERATOR: Can you tell us what this week has been like.

CAPTAIN BJORN BORG: For me and the team, I think -- for me personally as captain is the most important week in the year for me personally.

I think we all are very happy to defend our title. This is six guys who, like I said, future of tennis. They play unbelievable tennis. Seven, sorry. Just to put together what we did as a team, it's unbelievable. These guys played great tennis. Even if few matches was very close, but it went our way.

I'm very happy.

THE MODERATOR: I'm going to get each of you to answer this question. I will start with you, Andrey and make our way down the line. Can each of you tell me what this week has been like?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Can I be the last one?

THE MODERATOR: Sure. That's fine with me. Casper, we will start with you.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No, no, Andrey's answering the question.

ANDREY RUBLEV: I need to think. All of you saying... (Laughter.)

Okay. No, to be honest, yeah, I mean, first of all, outside the tennis court, it was amazing week for me, and I think we have amazing connection with all the guys. We had a lot of fun.

I said already to Stefanos when he ask me a question during the exhibition doubles, and I told him that since -- I mean, this year I had two really emotional moments. One was Olympic gold medal, and this week is the second.

So, yeah, it's something that gonna stay forever with me and be a special moment. For sure I'm going to miss this week a lot.

Of course on the tennis court was amazing atmosphere, amazing stadium with amazing crowd full of people, which all of us was missing a lot, especially after such a tough time. I can be only grateful to have a team like that to be part of this team, and to just to play and to share these moments with all the players.

MATTEO BERRETTINI: You said you didn't know what to say. You talked for 10 minutes. (Laughter.) Joking.

Yeah, first of all, thanks, guys, because it was a really nice week. I think I was talking to Cam that is not here, but also thanks to him, that he had to fly to California, but I was telling him actually that we never have like dinners together when we are on tour, and I think sometimes would be fun to do that.

Yeah, obviously we are playing for ourselves when we are on tour, but I think it's so nice to play for a team like this. We more or less know each other since a long time, so looking at what we achieved together, but also these guys, they achieve more than me, but they give me motivation to improve.

I learn a lot obviously from Bjorn and from Thomas, thanks again for calling me, for having me here. Yeah, it was a great week. Like Andrey said, I'm going to use it for the rest of the season, for the rest of my career, and hopefully next year I'm going to be part of the team too.

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Well, first of all, I'd like to thank all of my teammates. They have all been kind of my rivals, and it is nice to see that now we get to be part of one team and aim for the same goals and for the same things.

It has been more than a pleasure to be fighting for this trophy, and I think what is "the" most important and what stands out this week is the memories that we have built and formed together.

Of course, you know, the trophy comes with the memories, and that's what I have been most grateful for, each single one of them had something to offer. And this experience is so extraordinary with two incredible captains and players that are willing to give everything for this event.

So I feel privileged to be standing where I'm at right now and to be learning from the best, and that happens to be my teammates.

VICE-CAPTAIN THOMAS ENQVIST: Well, for me on a personal note, I take so much pleasure to see my idol, Bjorn Borg, lead this fantastic group of players. We had a lot of fun together. They are obviously amazing players that we all know. It's so impressive to see how good they are, sit so close to the court and see the way they move, the way they play.

But what's impressed me the most is their personalities. I have to say these guys are super professional, they are humble, they are everything that represent our sport the best. I think that's what I take with me from this week. These guys are unbelievable in so many sense, and they deserve all the success that they have.

Thanks, guys, for making my job easy. Thanks, Bjorn, for having me. You have done an incredible job again. Unbeatable so far. Can't wait for next year.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: An amazing week for us, I think I have an amazing team. I'm so grateful, I don't know what to say. Amazing, amazing, amazing, amazing (smiling).

No, seriously, was a great week. No, it's tough to talk for me, but as you can see, we had a great time. We are still having a great time, probably going to have a great celebration tonight.

From my side, really happy to bring two points to the team. We didn't lose a singles match. Won two doubles out of three. I mean, the goal now is to try to win every match next year. Of course we never know what's gonna happen. It's an amazing event where best players in the world play against each other, so it's going to be not as easy all the time.

But, yeah, I'm really thankful to the team, to Bjorn, to Thomas, and just looking forward to next year.

ANDREY RUBLEV: And to the teammates, no?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I said to the team. (Laughter.)

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I mean, for me, I think there is a lot of things we learned this week. We learned Casper is not only a clay court player but can win matches on hard court.

ANDREY RUBLEV: I knew this since -- I knew this before --

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Can you be quiet for two minutes or not (smiling)?

We also learned that Feli is the new generation of tennis and the future of our sport. We learned that Andrey, I thought I was always the one that just says whatever is on my mind, but we learned that Andrey is a different level towards me than that as well. Really not even mentioning not one word that he thinks, he literally says more than he thinks, I think.

We learned that Matteo after a tough day at work loses his voice immediately. We learned that Daniil hits the hardest forehand on tour when he's falling on the ground. We learned that -- what else did we learn?

ANDREY RUBLEV: What did we learn about you?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: About me?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Still the most handsome? (Laughter.)

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: We learned you can wear a bowtie and don't know how to tie it, that's what we learned. I had to retie it four times during that evening.

ANDREY RUBLEV: Okay, this is true. First thing, no, actually second.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Do you want to do a one-on-one interview with me? That would be funny. What do we want to talk about? Let's talk. What are we gonna...

ANDREY RUBLEV: Are we gonna talk about tonight? We can finish.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: We can finish?

No, in general, it was a great week, and I think everybody enjoyed it. We are all looking forward to London next year. We have the past three champions there on this team in London, so I think Stef, Daniil, and myself, we are very much looking forward to playing in that stadium. We are very much looking forward to hopefully representing Europe again there.

Yeah, I mean, it's gonna be a great time. I think everybody is going to have fun and hopefully a lot of this team will be there again. And Feli, of course, will be high up the rankings and will be our No. 2 and win three Grand Slams next year. That's my prediction.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: Oh, what can I add after this amazing performance from my teammates in the press conference? I thought Andrey, he was MVP during this weekend. But since...

ANDREY RUBLEV: You heard you're gonna win three Grand Slams from Sascha?

FELICIANO LOPEZ: No, no. Since I saw Daniil's performance in the press conference, I think he's going to be our MVP.

No, let's get serious, come on. Nothing else, it's been a great week for me. I only can be, you know, thankful to Thomas, to Bjorn, to all of my teammates this week, because it's a great opportunity for me to be here.

It's a great competition. It's been great to witness the way these guys can play tennis. It's really amazing.

So I think Team Europe is going to be winning a lot of Laver Cups in the future. This is my prediction. I hope not to be wrong. So, guys, you better continue playing the way you play.

That's all. I hope we can enjoy a good night with all celebrations.

Casper, I don't know if you have anything else to say?

CASPER RUUD: No, it's tough to follow up. I would like to say it was a very fun week for me personally to be among young fellow players and players, all of them I have been looking up to in some way, and trying to learn from them. They are all better than me in the rankings, and also very young. So it's good for me to be around these players and learn from them.

It was an honor to be under Vice-Captain and Captain Thomas and Bjorn. It was fun to be able to talk some Norwegian and Swedish on tour because I don't usually get to do it. It was nice. And yeah, in seven hours the week will be done, so I will probably be a little bit sad because it was very fun week.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. (Question off microphone.)

CAPTAIN BJORN BORG: Well, for me to be a captain, to spend time with these guys, I lead the same kind of life as they do. I have been playing tennis for so many years, tournaments. But sometimes it's fun to be a team member.

I mean, you put Laver Cup, you put the best players in the world to play in three days. I think these guys, you know, how competitive they are. They are. They are going to play against each other for so many times, finals, matches, it's going to hurt, they are going to have joy. But to put them together, I think in the way they get the better relationship with each other, they have fun, but still they are going to go back to tournaments.

So for them, I think it's a good thing. Not only for Laver Cup but to get the players, it's a good idea to get everybody together to have fun and play. At the same time, we are very serious. These guys are very serious. We joking now, because we have a good team spirit, and we have been joking for a week. But when it comes down to play match points and sets, we are all very serious. That's what's all about in tennis.

But this competition, we have found -- and for me to compare my days, I like team competition too, but we had Davis Cup. We didn't have this kind of to put everybody together. I regret that. I felt that that was something I wanted to do too.

But now everybody is here, and we all have a great time. It's going to come down next year to London. We don't want to lose. No one wants to lose. I mean, like I said, we joke and everything, but it's going to hurt if we lose, because we are professionals, they are professionals. I mean, I'm the captain, but these guys, they are very professional in what they do, off the court and on the court. That's the whole thing regarding tennis.

Q. (Question off microphone.)

CAPTAIN BJORN BORG: They are still around, but they are getting older. They still play great tennis, but look at these guys here. Like I said, future of tennis. I think it's important to promote these guys in a good way for tennis, because these guys are nice person, have personalities, and not only that, but they can play great tennis.

So that's important for tennis in the future to do that. That's why I'm very happy to spend time with these guys. I'm not going to be around for many, many more years, but these guys are going to be around for many years.

Q. (Question off microphone.)

ANDREY RUBLEV: No, to be honest, I mean, like I said, it was amazing week.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Was it amazing?

ANDREY RUBLEV: Shut up. Shut up.

To be honest, it was amazing week. And like I said, I enjoy my time a lot here.

What you want? I have one list that I'm reading. It's always the same (smiling).

But, yes, yesterday was the last match, and when we finish the last match and we start to sign some of our -- I know I didn't say it correct. Don't look at me this way. But, yeah, I heard some other people were screaming, Please...

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: When you talk for five minutes you don't get to the point. There's no answer to the question.

ANDREY RUBLEV: I was enjoying my time here, and it was the most important thing. You see they are making still fun of me, so I better be quiet.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No, no. He's going to get a massive hug from all of us, don't worry.

Q. This question is for Mr. Andrey Rublev and also for Sascha. Listen, guys, you guys are a real pain in the butt. You keep on kicking us Americans and the World players in the rear end. What's the secret to the magic for the Europeans to have such dominance not just in Laver Cup but in the rankings and at the slams? Will you guys be generous and give us non-Europeans a little bit of that magic?

ANDREY RUBLEV: My opinion, I mean, it's my first Laver Cup and I can say that I think the atmosphere was like it should be for the team events. We were completely together, we were supporting each other. And I think this is the way it should be on a team event. When someone is doing something not good we were supporting each other, and we were all this week in the same motel all of us, pushing each other, and I think this was the most important thing. I think that's why this week we were really strong and we performed really well.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Your second part of the question was why do we think Europeans are up the rankings maybe a bit more? I think the European tennis school developed over the last 20 years maybe a bit more than the American has maybe a little bit. I think the coaching and all that of how tennis is taught maybe has developed a bit better.

I say that because, you know, I obviously had my father is a coach and I had European coaches all my life, but I spent a lot of time in Florida in the Saddlebrook Academy, so I know how coaches and the American system works. I think that for tennis nowadays, of course the big three, the big four, have been dominating tennis. The slams since Del Potro, I think, every single slam went to a European player.

But not only those guys but if you look at the depth I think in Europe is much bigger. I do believe that there is a reason for that that just the coaching and how tennis is taught in Europe has developed just simply more than it has in America a little bit.

That's not an offense or anything like that to anybody. That's just how I think tennis has been played in Europe.

Q. Congratulations to Team Europe for making it 4-0. But even more for this great camaraderie and amazing scoreline. I have two questions for Bjorn. If Team Europe was happening in your day, who would be the members of Team Europe? And given the fact that you have been dominant in past four sessions, would you consider possibly fielding players from, let's say, lower ranks in order to give them this exquisite experience for playing for Europe at Laver Cup?

CAPTAIN BJORN BORG: I think Laver Cup should have the best players in the world. That's very important. You can have one juniors or whatever, but it should be the best players. That's what everybody is like. Even in this room, they want to see the best players in the world. That's the whole thing.

We have two great team, even Team World, they have great players, but this is my fourth Laver Cup and I have been around the best players in Europe, and it should be that.

My time, that's not interesting right now. This is interesting. This Team Europe. I mean, that's history. This what you should talk about, this team.