It was quite the party in the locker room as Team World marked their second Laver Cup success by puffing on celebratory cigars.
The whole playing crew including Tommy Paul, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, and even Team Captain John McEnroe, who recovered from Covid-19 during the US Open tournament, could be seen with a lit cigar in hand. Young Ben Shelton was also in a celebratory mood smoking.
The celebrations began in the middle of the court after Shelton and Tiafoe sealed a straight-sets win in a doubles match at the start of Day 3. It put the tournament beyond reach for Team Europe. McEnroe's men locked their title with three singles matches to spare.
The 13-2 scoreline in Vancouver, Canada, was the most one-sided in Laver Cup history since Team Europe clinched their fourth crown back in 2021 by a 14-1 score. But tennis fans felt that this year's tournament didn't live up to the expectations of previous editions, alluding that even the 2021 event had many interesting and close matchups.
Team Europe managed to pick up just a single win during the three-day event, and which came on Day 2 when Casper Ruud gave them hope by defeating Tommy Paul. Captain John McEnroe was ecstatic to oversee a successful title defense and refused to take all the credit as he spoke in press with a cigar in his hand.
"I had very little to do with it. But it was awesome to be out there, and we all brought some intensity, some fun, and some energy to it. It just worked out perfect."
Team Europe are anticipating a response next year when the event will head back to the European continent. Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany will play host to the 2024 Laver Cup and retired legend Roger Federer is looking to convince both Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz to partake in the tournament.
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