LAVER CUP

September 23, 2022

Patrick McEnroe

Jack Sock

Press Conference

C. RUUD/J. Sock

6-4, 5-7, 10-7

Team Europe - 1

Team World - 0

THE MODERATOR: We've got Jack Sock with us and Vice Captain Patrick McEnroe. Questions, please.

Q. You looked like you had a lot of support from your bench tonight, whereas the Team Europe bench was, by and large, absent at various parts throughout the match. How did you take that energy from the bench and bring it onto the court? How did you feel about that?

JACK SOCK: I mean, I think that's one thing we do better every year. I mean, we are a pretty close-knit group, not in any negative way towards them, but I think that's also why we compete in this every year that I've been a part of it and I feel like we have a lot of chances. Another one today that just stings even more just because we were that close again. I had a lot of chances. Few things let me down at the end I wish I could have back.

Yeah, without the support from the bench with all those guys, obviously could be a completely different story. I think as long as we keep doing that over the weekend, I don't see why we can't be right there at the end.

Q. Patrick, how frustrating is it getting, the fact that Team World is just getting so close and just not being able to get over that last hump?

VICE CAPTAIN PATRICK McENROE: Well, we're going to keep battling. There's no doubt it's been frustrating because we have had a lot of tight matches like this one, but we feel like once it turns it's going to turn.

Just gotta keep battling, at least put yourself in a position. Jack did a great job of doing that, giving himself a great chance to pull it off.

So we're going to keep doing trying to do that. There's no doubt it's frustrating, but at the same time you have to keep believing it's going to turn at some point.

Q. You are sort of a veteran, so to speak, of the Laver Cup. Can you give me a bit of a breakdown of how different it felt coming onto the court early today before the game compared to the other Laver Cups you have been at, the atmosphere around it and stuff and the kind of entrance to the tournament?

JACK SOCK: Well, what's different this year about it? I'm kidding (smiling).

No, obviously there is a certain feel to this one that hasn't been there in years prior for obvious reasons we all know being Roger's last match tonight, which I'm grateful to be a part of. It doesn't change the fact that we are obviously trying to win this weekend, and we want to turn the tide in this competition.

Yeah, I mean, I think the attendance yesterday, Fan Day, showed a lot. Someone said there was 11,000 people on a Fan Day. I don't know if that's ever happened anywhere.

I can only imagine, you know, I mean, me and Casper out there on the first match and the crowd was electric, I can only imagine what it's going to be like for the rest of the weekend. And obviously tonight with Murray and two of the GOATs playing together. Yeah, there's a different feel for the weekend, but it doesn't change our goal, I guess.

Q. Jack, that point at 3-All in the super-tiebreaker...

JACK SOCK: What happened?

Q. The overhead.

JACK SOCK: I don't remember.

Q. I know you don't want to remember, but was it a little bit of nerves or a little bit of overexcitement? Was it shock that he had gotten it back?

JACK SOCK: No. It might sound crazy. It was overanticipation from me. As soon as I got the lob over, I knew he was going to try a tweener lob. I feel like a lot of guys are doing that now.

I took too many steps back and then tried to get up to it, and feet, I just didn't get them under me as well as I obviously would have liked to. Hadn't missed one the whole match.

Yeah, I think I was anticipating too much. Backed up a little too many and tried to get back up and kind of got stuck a little bit.

Yeah, a few nerves at the beginning, but after one hold in the first set, I was good to go.

Q. You did better against him than pretty much everybody he played at the US Open. You actually undermined the confidence he had on his backhand in the second set. Did you feel that if you'd had maybe a few more matches under your belt, that could have been one you could have won tonight?

JACK SOCK: I mean, I lost 10-7. I don't know if more matches would have helped.

Yeah, I feel like I keep getting underestimated in my game. Obviously I have played at the highest level and been ranked very high, but still feel like I'm a pretty good tennis player. Hopefully people saw that today.

Yeah, I've played some great ball this year. I backed myself, had confidence in myself going into this match. Rankings, whatever, I feel like I can compete with anyone if I'm firing on all cylinders.

Like I said, a couple points in the breaker didn't go my way, but I feel like I can compete with anyone, yeah. I was confident all day.

Q. Jack, can you just talk about the rebound and comeback up again tonight with Frances in that doubles, and the emotion of the whole evening and how you're going to counteract that?

JACK SOCK: I mean, I don't know. Frances and I are high-energy guys, obviously. I think we will feed off each other very well. I think we'll have our bench plus our family and friends cheering for us, and that's about it (smiling). We'll just have to feed off of them and do what we can.

I think it will be exciting. I mean, it will be awesome to see Roger back on court. No one really knows what to expect physically from him, where he's at, but like I said, to be a part of his last match in his career will be exciting. We'll enjoy every minute of it. Give him a big hug at the end, win or lose, and obviously let him have his entire moment and weekend and everything.

Yeah, I mean, I think it probably won't hit until we're out there. It's hard to know what to expect other than an insane decibel level of noise.

Q. Can you just talk briefly about the speed of the court and the bounce? Is it fairly low-bouncing and quick?

JACK SOCK: It's interesting. I feel like, yeah, I would say it's definitely on the slower side. The balls definitely fluff up a good bit. I feel like the slices die pretty hard. Yeah...

VICE CAPTAIN PATRICK McENROE: Low and slow.

JACK SOCK: Yeah, low and slow. I think normally it's a little higher I feel like here, kick serves and stuff.