As reported by Punto de Break, Team Europe captain Bjorn Borg expressed his disappointment with his team’s heavy defeat in the 2023 Laver Cup. The European team was completely shorn of big names and fell to a 13-2 loss. This year’s Laver Cup did not see the Big 3 and many other top stars participate, robbing the tournament of its glory. The lack of stars in Team Europe was reflected in the scoreline.
Some of the top-ranked players featured this year include Taylor Fritz, Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, and Frances Tiafoe. The Europeans could not prevent Team World from running all over them, managing only one win. The 2023 Laver Cup turned out to be a lopsided affair in the absence of the best players.
Bjorn Borg laments 2023 Laver Cup margin of defeat after stars pulled out
Roger Federer retired at the 2022 Laver Cup and Rafael Nadal is in an extended injury lay-off. Novak Djokovic made himself unavailable which meant Team Europe was without the Big 3. Other stars like Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Jannik Sinner also opted to skip the event. Holger Rune and Stefanos Tsitsipas were named in the original squads but withdrew because of injury.
The tournament’s best player, Alexander Zverev, did not make the cut because of his ranking and was neither called up by the captain. Nick Kyrgios, known for his high entertainment value, also backed out of the tournament.
Team Europe would have hoped to reclaim the Laver Cup after losing it for the first time last year. However, it all went downhill for the depleted squad from Day 1. Borg’s men lost all their fixtures on Day 1 and began Day 2 on a similar note. Ruud won the second singles tie of the day to give Team Europe two points, the only points they earned. Team World wrapped up the 2023 Laver Cup 13-2 after winning the first match on Day 3.
Captain Borg admitted his disappointment in a press conference (via Punto de Break). He said he never expected such a lopsided margin of defeat. He duly credited Team World for playing well, before promising that next year’s Laver Cup will be a different story.
“Of course we are very disappointed, you never expect this kind of scoreline but what more can you say? Unfortunately, these things happened during the Laver Cup, we lost. I never expected to lose 13-2, but I still say they played well. Next year in Berlin will be completely different.”
The 2024 Laver Cup will be held in Berlin, Germany. Borg was confident that things will change in the seventh edition of the team tournament. The tournament’s godfather, Federer, also has a wish that would undoubtedly make Team Europe much stronger.
Roger Federer wishes for epic doubles pairing in 2024
Talking about Team Europe’s disappointing outing at the 2023 Laver Cup, Borg claimed that the next year’s edition in Berlin will not be the same. He vowed to bounce back stronger and reclaim the title after two years. Having seen the problems caused by multiple star players withdrawing, Team Europe stakeholders will hope to see the big guns return. Djokovic and Alcaraz will be at the top of their wishlist, followed by the likes of Medvedev and Zverev.
Federer echoed these sentiments. When asked about the players he would like to see for Team Europe in 2024, he said Djokovic and Alcaraz right off the bat. The Swiss, in fact, wished to see them play doubles together. He also mentioned Zverev, citing his home advantage playing in Germany. Additionally, he named Medvedev, Rune, and Tsitsipas. Federer clearly wants to see the cream of European tennis at the Laver Cup. If his wish comes true, the 2024 edition will be completely different than 2023 and will be an elite, thrilling contest.
