Nick Kyrgios has weighed in on the debate around whether or not the Laver Cup should be seen as a serious competition or as an exhibition event.
The Laver Cup is taking place in Vancouver, Canada from September 22-24, with John McEnroe's Team World holding an extensive lead over Bjorn Borg's Team Europe. This tournament marks one year since Roger Federer played his final match before retirement at the 2022 edition held in London.
However, this year's event has sparked off a debate about the Cup's identity and how seriously players should be taking it. This came after Gael Monfils and Felix Auger-Aliassime engaged in a dispute during their match.
During their clash, Auger-Aliassime complained that Monfils was taking too long between points as the Frenchman took time to play up to the crowd and taunt the Canadian at the net.
As the players returned to their respective benches and vented about the situation to their teammates, it became clear that they had very different ideas about the tone of the tournament.
"If I don't want to play a tournament, I don't play it. They told me I can be free. I'm here to have fun," a frustrated Monfils said.
After over-hearing his opponent, Auger-Aliassime asked his teammate Ben Shelton, "What have the people that brought him here told him?"
The 23-year-old went on to win the match and quickly made it clear that he and Monfils were still on good terms. However, he also stressed that he believed the Laver Cup should be taken seriously.
"I think the Laver Cup has the potential to be taken very seriously, not just now but also in the future. We’re just taking this seriously and things got heated for a couple of games," he said.
This disagreement has led to a lot of discussion among fans about how the tournament should be viewed, with 2022 Wimbledon runner-up Kyrgios - who has been absent for most of this season due to injury - sharing his opinion on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"And this is the beauty of it!!! You see the contrast in players, personality and game styles…..
"I’ve been around FAA he is one of the most professional players ever, I remember him taking notes on the sideline one year, then you have La monf….. entertainer… epic. LETS GO!!!!!" he wrote.
And this is the beauty of it!!! You see the contrast in players, personality and game styles….. I’ve been around FAA he is one of the most professional players ever, I remember him taking notes on the sideline one year, then you have La monf….. entertainer… epic. LETS GO!!!!!
The Laver Cup, exhibition or not? - FAA: "I want to play seriously" - Monfils: "I’m here to have fun" Even between players that's quite a debate ⚡︎ pic.x.com/G2lA7ZWuRS
