Laver Cup captain Andre Agassi pays tribute to Rod Laver: “He’s at the pinnacle of the sport”

Andre Agassi is preparing to serve as captain of the Laver Cup, replacing John McEnroe, and he praised the legendary Rod Laver, an 11-time major champion and the only player in the Open Era to win the Grand Slam (the four biggest tournaments in the same year).

The legendary Australian lends his name to the tournament that pits Team Europe against Team World, which will hold its 8th edition in San Francisco in 2025, marking a change in captains for the first time in its history. During the first seven editions, captains McEnroe and Bjorn Borg led their teams for the last time in 2024.

Agassi spoke about his new role as captain in the tournament and expressed his admiration for the format: "Watching it over the last few years, it's hard not to be fascinated by it. I like the idea of a team format where you can bring the best players in the world,” he said.

“It's competitive, the players are engaged, and the audience is interested," he continued, focusing on relationships with the players: “I don't think you can parachute into a player's life for seven days and expect to necessarily make a difference, but you can certainly make a connection.”

The 8-time Grand Slam champion shared his admiration for Rod Laver and the legacy he has maintained 45 years after his retirement. "It certainly pushes him to the pinnacle of the sport. It's just incredible. When you look at the greatest of all time, what he did was amazing. It's fitting that an event of this magnitude is named after him," he said.

He also had words for his predecessor, Johnny Mac, as captain of Team World. The American led his team to victories in 2022 and 2023, while the historical record between the two teams stands at 5-2 in favour of the Europeans: "Obviously John McEnroe's love and passion for the game is unmatched; everything he does, tennis-wise, he cares deeply."

“I think that's one of the great things about the Laver Cup: going to some of these cities where maybe there's not always the ability to have a big event or an event at all. San Francisco is a great example; bringing this level of tennis to that city will mean a lot to the community," Agassi added.