"One of the most memorable weeks I’ve ever spent on a tennis court" - Team World react to surprising victory in the Laver Cup

Team World completed an outstanding victory in the Laver Cup over Team Europe, regaining their title after coming out victorious 15-9.

World number four Taylor Fritz sealed the victory after defeating Alexander Zverev in straight sets. He continued his great form, coming off the back of achieving his first win over Carlos Alcaraz on day two.

The Spaniard kept Team Europe's hopes alive with wins in singles and doubles, but the damage had already been done after a commanding day two from Team World. They take home the Laver Cup for the first time since 2023, and the third time in four years.

In the press conference following the triumph, Team Captain Andre Agassi revealed how he felt about his team. He said: "Very proud of these guys. I mean, they laid their heart on the line. On paper, a lot of people would have said they didn’t see an inroad to pulling this off. But we shocked the world. And we only did it because of them.

"Everybody played a part in making this one of the most memorable weeks I’ve ever spent on a tennis court. And I can honestly say that. That’s saying something because there were 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."

Vice-Captain Pat Rafter admitted that injuries had left them a 'bit thin', but was quick to praise his players after a fantastic victory.

"When Andre asked me to come along, we had a bit of a vision," Rafter said. "And as you said, on paper we looked a bit thin. But the boys came along, they pulled hard, and it just showed you how competitive it all is amongst these guys. I’ve been removed from tennis for quite a long time, and watching these guys play was incredible. Their confidence and self-belief in this team was what made it all happen. The buy-in Andre and I had with the guys, whether individually or together, worked really well. It was pretty seamless.

"I just hope they go away and feel we’ll have buy-in with them for the rest of the year. Whenever they want to call up and chat, or ask how we can help them — we want to make this one of the greatest team events there is. I think it’s already nearly established as that. The way this event was run, I loved it. I love these guys because they put their heart and soul out there. Andre, thank you for asking me to come along, mate, because we’ve got a history. I’m going to enjoy rekindling that relationship. I had a great time."

Agassi also let loose that he had gained a lot of knowledge from spending time with each of the players, citing their confidence and composure on the court in highly pressurised moments.

"I’ve learned something from each one of them," Agassi said. "The common theme I took away was how confident they are in what they can do on a tennis court. And it’s not delusional — it’s real. Even when the environment was different, like with the balls getting heavy after long rallies, they stayed calm in the storm.

"What I learned is what I keep learning: do more listening than talking, try to stay out of their way. If they notice you, hopefully it’s only because you’re helping them keep their eyes on the prize. They all do that so well. That’s why they’re here."

There were questions whether Team World would have another player pull out, after Fritz arrived in San Francisco unwell. However, he recovered and recorded two top-three wins, playing some of the best tennis of his career, including a fantastic one against the world number one.

"Yeah, I mean, it’s amazing to just do it for the team," Fritz said. "Honestly, when I got here, I felt like I had recovered and felt pretty good after being sick at Davis Cup. Since I’ve been here I’ve been feeling good. It’s amazing to do it for the team and a great feeling to clinch it in the end. It really just kind of is like the perfect end to a great week.

"It’s always tough to come back and play like I did yesterday. Funny thing — when I was leaving the hotel I saw Roddick, who I haven’t really spoken to much in the past. He said, 'Don’t worry, you’ll play better today.' He was joking about how well I played against Carlos. At the end of the day, we had to pick the lineup and we sat down as a team. I was the one that wanted to put myself in the slot I did. So when it came down to it, I just had to perform. It’s a matchup I feel somewhat comfortable in. No matter what, I was going to compete as hard as I could for the team."

Despite admitting that coming into the net 'sucks', the American number one used it to his advantage. He accumulated 16/20 net points against Alcaraz, and 23/26 against Zverev. It definitely helped him that he had the likes of Rafter and Agassi aiding him when coming into the net.

"I still think coming in sucks, to be honest with you," he said. "But this week I was able to make it work. A lot of that was just being a bit more aggressive from the ground, which makes the volleys a bit easier. I don’t know what happened on that match point because normally that would be a really tight volley for me. But for whatever reason I was just calm doing it. Maybe that was because they were there."