LAVER CUP

September 22, 2024

Francisco Cerundolo

Ben Shelton

Taylor Fritz

Frances Tiafoe

Alejandro Tabilo

Thanasi Kokkinakis

Patrick McEnroe

John McEnroe

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/T. Fritz

6-2, 7-5

Team Europe - 13

Team World - 11

THE MODERATOR: John, you and your team fought so hard over the last three days and it came down to the fourth and last match today in a very interesting competition.

How would you summarize Laver Cup 2024?

CAPTAIN JOHN McENROE: It was definitely an incredible weekend. We battled as hard as we possibly could. We could taste it. Unfortunately, didn't happen.

But, you know, we put ourselves in a position to do it, and that's amazing. It was incredible atmosphere, incredible energy from our team. All our guys played well.

So it's too bad we lost. I will admit to that.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Bad luck, Taylor. What was the problem? You took pills? Could you tell us what went on?

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, something with the balls, I have been having some tightness in my left shoulder. Noticed it after the first day, more like from hitting backhands. I think it's tight and I struggled to toss the ball a bit.

But it kind of lit up on me a bit in the second set of the match yesterday. Thought it felt better today. After the first couple of games, I kind of felt it tightening up. It's nothing, like, crazy but, I mean, yeah, I thought if I could take some painkillers, make me feel better, I may as well.

Q. Alejandro, can you sort of share your takeaways from your first Laver Cup and the format? Anything you learned about these guys this week?

ALEJANDRO TABILO: Yeah, it was a nice week. Really sad we couldn't get the win. Yeah, I loved getting to know them. It was a great team environment.

I have learned a lot this week. I feel like just watching them I have improved a lot. And also, how much they know about tennis, they're all where they are because of how good that they are and everything that they know. Just the experience is unreal.

Yeah, it's been a tough week, but pretty proud of all of them with the battle they gave up.

Q. John, I know there has been a lot of talk about this being your last Laver Cup as captain...

CAPTAIN JOHN McENROE: Don't rub it in (smiling).

Q. Can you talk about what you will be boring your grandchildren with years from now about your seven Laver Cups?

CAPTAIN JOHN McENROE: Probably a little too early to say right now after this defeat that just took place where I was just ready for the threepeat and celebrate, and I would be in a different state of mind, perhaps slightly inebriated, but unfortunately, I saw, you know, it's like the Champagne was in our room. I felt like it. Maybe I jumped to conclusions.

FRANCES TIAFOE: No, my finger was on it.

CAPTAIN JOHN McENROE: It was turning. I was, like, okay, here we are, I'm going out in three in a row (smiling).

Then suddenly now I'm sitting here talking to you, and you're asking me for my goddamned moments from the last seven years. (Laughing.)

Let's talk about it another day, if you don't mind. We'll put it in the Laver Cup magazine.

Q. Frances, can you talk a bit about your loss, being up a set and a break, how difficult that was, and really for anybody, how tough is it to be sitting courtside trying to support your teammates in a moment like that?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, I mean, obviously that wasn't easy. It's obviously a team effort, but I felt like I messed up for these guys generally.

Yeah, that wasn't easy. Obviously you guys know how much I love this event. You know, I gave everything I have, especially in this event. I really thought I was in winning positions. Thought I was the better player today. Just kind of, it didn't go my way.

At the end there, I thought Zverev raised his level. He deserved to win at the end. Battled hard. It's not easy to lose like that when you're up a set and a break and kind of one-sided.

It's not easy, especially when you're not losing like a normal week. Everyone else feels that as well. Definitely tough. Especially Mac's last one, as he was just talking about, him going off to the sunset. This is tough.

But hopefully, you know, we bounce back and this team bounce back. Yeah, I'm probably off to the sunset too.

CAPTAIN JOHN McENROE: Cindy, by the way, you have been around this sport for 45 years or so, but so we'd appreciate for the rest of this press conference that you ask questions that you don't know the answer to. (Smiling). Okay?

You have been around long enough not to ask that question.

Q. Thank you for pointing that out.

CAPTAIN JOHN McENROE: You know what I'm saying.

Q. Yes, I do.

CAPTAIN JOHN McENROE: By the way, just for the record, because Richard Evans wrote my first book, so I want to personally congratulate him on being inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer. Richard, well done. You have been around this sport as long as I have been around. It's good to see you still here.

(Applause.)

Q. He gets accolades. I get ripped.

CAPTAIN JOHN McENROE: It was ripped in a nice way. (Laughter.)

Q. Taylor, you played Jannik and against Alcaraz in the near past. How can you compare those two guys, and what do you think tour need to do to catch them? I think they are a step in front.

CAPTAIN JOHN McENROE: Obviously your opinion.

TAYLOR FRITZ: It's a little tough to compare the two, just because the conditions are so incredibly different. It's so much slower here versus US Open.

So it's very tough. But I did feel like Jannik maybe can serve a bit better, but from the ground I felt like I had pretty much no time, no time to play today, you know, trying to just getting into rallies, feel things out, I just didn't really ever get to settle in.

I was always being rushed and moved and, yeah, I definitely feel like I had less breathing room against Carlos. But, I mean, both insane players.

Q. John, what legacy do you want them and these guys to remember? What advice? What's the captain's touch that you want them to bring and to keep with them for the next Laver Cups?

CAPTAIN JOHN McENROE: You know, I just love to be, I always love being part of a team, ever since I was a kid. I played other sports. I love Davis Cup. So these team events are extra special to me. Just bringing sort of that love of getting together, even though it's only brief, it could be a week a year.

I see the guys around a bit at the majors and stuff occasionally here, not that much, so for me it's fun. So hopefully, just feeling, you know, having a memorable week. Preferably when you win, but either way. Energy.

Q. Thanasi, keeping it in the Australians, what do you take away from this week? First time you played at Laver Cup.

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Well, I played a shocker, first of all. Not much to sugarcoat. Johnny Mac probably regretting the pick, but that's fine. I was trying to bring the team value in other ways, because I didn't bring it on the court this week.

It's fine. I will try and help the boys out tonight as much as I can. Have a good time. But yeah, I loved every minute of that, apart from the 40 minutes I was on court. (Laughter.)

Probably my worst match of the year, but it's fine. Not a big stage or anything, so that was cool.

No, but for me, I love being around the boys, like Johnny as captain, what a guy, some of the stories, obviously not being repeated. Absolutely hilarious. What a character.

The boys laid it all out there, competed their nuts off. Sorry. And it was inspiring to watch. I was probably a little bit late to the party, but I was trying to compete out there on the bench as well as I could. But yeah, it was a pretty insane way to just be a part of. I love these boys, a lot of my closest mates on tour, as well.

Yeah, a week I will remember, and hopefully I finish off strong tonight. (Laughter.) That's all I got. Thanks for asking me the only question. I knew it would only come from you, so I appreciate that.

Q. As a followup to that, just your thoughts, John, and the other boys, if you want to chime in, how cool it was to have TK here this week, just the vibes he brings.

FRANCES TIAFOE: We all got to go.

Q. I'm looking at you, Big Foe.

BEN SHELTON: I think having TK is like having a bright light in the room, as always. We tend to like the same things. I think that's why we get along really well.

Frances always calls himself the glue guy, which is certainly true. He's that glue guy that keeps the team together, but Thanasi does the same thing in a different way.

I think it's been cool to see all the very, very different personalities. Kind of mix and match on this team, starting with John and trickling all the way down.

For me, all the guys made this week really, really special. But for you Aussie guys who are asking, yeah, TK made it super special, as well.

TAYLOR FRITZ: Yeah, I mean, it's like a big part of what makes Team World. Team World is, like, the team chemistry and the vibes, and having Thanasi here is incredible for that. Just a great guy to have around.

It makes it more fun. I think every year, regardless, I think one thing that stays true is that we're, you know, we're having more fun at this event than the other team is, maybe aside from the result. But Thanasi is a big part of that. I don't think you should be too hard on yourself, because I think Francis played a bit of a part in the match.

No further comment.

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: He showed me something before the match, and we called it on the spot. I said I was getting broken first game. It happened. Yeah, I'm blaming this on you. Thanks, big fella.

FRANCES TIAFOE: I will be the last one we can move to another question. Yeah, TK's definitely MVP. He's the guy of this team.

We have been friends for a really long time, and to have him on the team has been great. One of the funnier guys I know. He's got something to say at all times. Really slick out of the mouth. Pause.

So it's really great to have him. Obviously extremely talented. He knows a lot about the game. No, I mean, it was great to have him. I think he should be cemented, to be a glue guy going forward. See what Andre says about that.

Q. Two very brief questions. Thanasi, you just mentioned with you, you said you're hoping tonight is going to be your finest moment. You said to us at the Brandenburg...

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: The only way to go is up, honestly, after that.

Q. You said to us at the Brandenburg Gate that Sascha had given you some good recommendations for Berlin. Do we think some of those are coming into play tonight?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: After looking it up on Google, I hope not. That place was something else. I don't know. I think Sascha has some demons he's got to address. That was crazy. I'm not repeating the place he told us to go.

If I see him there, I will know big fella's in some strife and might have a few weeks off.

Q. German-related, Ben, did we see you bring doner kebabs to the whole bench during Frances' match? How were they?

BEN SHELTON: Man, I love doner kebabs, one of my favorite foods. I always try to eat that when I'm in Germany. I shared today, I had more than one, I think he tried it, Alej tried one. Kokkinakis tried one as well.

I think they all liked it. It's a really fire chicken sandwich to me.

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Solid. Tough on the breath, though, a lot of garlic.