Agassi on Laver Cup learnings… Delusion & less talking
Andre Agassi has enjoyed his fair share of highs on a tennis court. The American reached No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings and won 60 tour-level titles, including eight majors.
A little more than 19 years since his retirement, Agassi wrote another chapter into his tennis playbook when on Sunday as captain, he led Team World to victory against Team Europe at the Laver Cup in San Francisco. It is a weekend that will live long in the memory.
“Everybody played a part in making this one of the most memorable weeks I’ve ever spent on a tennis court,” Agassi said on Sunday night. “And that’s saying something, because it was a lot of years I’ve been out there in one form or another with a perceived team, but this really was a team. So proud of the guys. Just unflappable. They never stopped believing.”
From the sidelines, Agassi, alongside vice captain Patrick Rafter, helped Taylor Fritz, Joao Fonseca, Alex de Minaur and Francisco Cerundolo earn singles victories, with De Minaur and Michelsen also triumphing in a doubles rubber during the three-day event. Even with his decades of experience, Agassi found himself learning from the group he was leading.
“I think the common theme that I took away from this group is just how confident they are in what they can do on a tennis court. It’s not delusional. I mean, it can be delusional… But it was amazing to watch their calm in the midst of storms,” Agassi said. “What I learned is kind of what I continue to learn, which is try to do more listening than talking and try to stay out of their way.”
Fritz was the star man for Team World in San Francisco. He earned his first Lexus ATP Head2Head win against Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday and then backed that up by overcoming Alexander Zverev on Sunday, securing the decisive points for Team World.
“It was going to be tough to come back and play like I played on [Saturday]. Funny thing, I was leaving the hotel. I saw Roddick, who I haven’t really spoken to too much in the past, and he said, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll play better today’, joking about how well I played against Carlos,” Fritz said.
“We had to pick the line-up for today and we sat down as a team and I was the one that wanted to put myself in the slot that I put myself. So, when it came down to it, I just had to perform. It’s a matchup that I obviously feel somewhat comfortable in. No matter what, I was just going to compete as hard as I could for the team and do everything I could do.”
The hosts earned a 15-9 victory in San Francisco but after eight editions, Team Europe holds a 5-3 lead against Team World.
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