LAVER CUP

September 24, 2022

Patrick McEnroe

Frances Tiafoe

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/F. Tiafoe

6-1, 6-3

Team Europe - 6

Team World - 4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I would like to go back to yesterday, the match against Roger and Rafa. I would like to ask you how hard was to compete yesterday against the two legends, but today when the crowd was supporting them, was against you and Jack Sock, how difficult that was for you?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, it's not that I was thinking about the crowd that was against. It was more in celebration of Roger, right? It wasn't like maliciously they were against us and had anything against us or didn't like us or whatever. It was bigger than me and Jack. It was bigger than the game itself.

We knew that was going to happen. Yeah, I mean, I think tennis won last night.

Q. Today's match with Djokovic, it had been a while since we had seen him play. I'm just wondering what you thought of his level? Did it just seem like the Novak you're expecting to see?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I think he played better than when he maybe played Wimbledon. He's pretty locked in. Again, the guy can only play as well as you allow him to. I gave him a lot of looks at seconds, as well. I had low, low first-serve percentage of first serves.

From the back of the court I was solid. I threw a lot of stuff at him. He had a lot of answers for me.

Yeah, you just tip your hat off to a guy like that, playing that well. No excuses on my side. He was just too good. Couple of things I could do a little better, but we saw greatness again today.

Q. I wanted to ask you about the locker room atmosphere this week. You obviously share locker rooms all over the world with these guys, but how different is it in this atmosphere when you're teammates instead of the normal thing where everybody you see is a potential opponent or enemy?

FRANCES TIAFOE: No, no, it's definitely different. It's cool to see another side of the guys, right? We are all here for each other. We are not against each other. You know, we're just against Team Europe.

Seeing the other side of the guys is pretty cool, and getting to know guys also, better personally, not just, you know, "You want to practice tomorrow?" kind of thing, and say you're friends but you don't really talk outside practice.

I mean, it's cool. You know, like Tommy and Fritz are here, couple of American guys, Jack as well.

Yeah, no, it's been good. Hopefully we can keep being friends and keep winning. I mean, that's why we are all here.

Q. A couple of the other players, particularly on the other team, have talked about some of the camaraderie, nicknames that are tossed around in their locker room. Just wondering, could you share a little bit of that behind-the-scenes thing? Taylor was up here earlier poking fun at you because you're always late. Unfair accusation?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, yeah, I'm late to everything. That goes without saying (smiling). Yeah, me and time just don't really get along (smiling).

Yeah, I think everyone has their kind of funny stuff. Everyone gets pretty chill, to be honest with you. Yeah, I mean, Tommy, Fritz and I know each other for so long, so we have joked for years.

Then you have couple other guys. It's funny, because everyone is such a different personality. Felix and Demon are much more, you know, in-tuned and locked in on a day-to-day process, not that we are not, but they go about their business definitely different. You kind of let them do their thing. Then the American guys are just like being clowns and loud, talking bullshit. It's fun.

VICE CAPTAIN PATRICK McENROE: Tommy said today during your match, Frances, second set when you were playing a bit better, you said, Come on, Frances.

Tommy Paul said, I love it when he says that. He's been saying that since he was 11.

I remember watching them, all these guys, when they were kids playing together. So to have them all here and being top-level pros and watching them play in the same team, for an old guy like me is pretty awesome to watch them do their thing now at the highest level.

Q. We were told that Rafa is by far the messiest guy in their locker room. Curious who would you call out for that on your team?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I'm going to go Fritz. I'm definitely messy. Obviously you guys see my benches on court, so coming into the locker room, I have so much shit, I can't organize it. Takes a while.

My stuff is like everywhere. I know where things are. Fritz kind of doesn't really care.

Just interested to see that Rafa is the messiest, knowing that he's all, like, doing these ones and stuff (twisting the water bottle). That's interesting to hear. I can't wait to clown on him on that the next time I see him.

Q. Patrick, just bringing it to you and John, out of the two of you, who is messier or...

VICE CAPTAIN PATRICK McENROE: Definitely John, yeah. I do a lot of picking up after John, make sure he's got everything he needs.

You know, I brought his laundry over early this morning. Yeah, I do the little brother stuff for my big brother.

Q. Still?

VICE CAPTAIN PATRICK McENROE: Absolutely. Oh, especially here. Not so much, you know, when we are at ESPN or something, but here, when he's got, sitting on the bench all day and being there for the guys, I've got to cover his back.

Q. What about Bjorn?

VICE CAPTAIN PATRICK McENROE: Bjorn seems pretty chill, which is not surprising for any of us. I just love seeing Bjorn out there, and it warms my heart to see John and Bjorn after each match, going up to each other and hugging and shaking hands. To me, that's just what it's all about.

Q. Frances, this is going back to your issues, locker room issues and things of that, cameras focused on your bench at the US Open, made plenty of comments on that, one person we haven't really heard much about and maybe you could expand is Novak and what he's like generally. I mean, obviously you're in separate locker rooms here, but what's Novak like generally in the locker room?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I mean, I know Novak is a super cool dude. I like the guy a lot. We clown all the time. He's actually very funny.

Yeah, like because obviously I have a great sense of humor and say things off the cuff. He likes it as well. Super nice guy. What he does for Serbia and Serbian tennis, as well, obviously everyone in that country, he's a genuine dude.

I think he gets a bad rap at times. I think he's actually like a really, really nice guy and obviously a legend. I've got a ton of respect for him. Wish he wasn't so locked in today, but other than that -- I probably like him a little less right now, but other than that, he's very cool.

Q. Is he very organized?

VICE CAPTAIN PATRICK McENROE: Seems like it, right?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Seems like it. He was pretty organized out there on court, so I don't know.

VICE CAPTAIN PATRICK McENROE: He doesn't seem like the kind of guy that leaves a lot of things to chance.