Stefanos Tsitsipas dismissed suggestions that players don’t care about the Laver Cup after winning his match at the event.
Tsitsipas hasn’t played particularly well in recent weeks, but he meant business in his first Laver Cup match. He faced Thanasi Kokkinakis, a player who had beaten him at the US Open not too long ago, and this time the Greek player managed to secure a straightforward win in two sets.
Tsitsipas has always been a player who gets motivated for the Laver Cup because it’s an event he thoroughly enjoys. The unique format, the bragging rights, and the prize money combine to give him all the motivation he needs.
While some have suggested that players might not care as much about the event, Tsitsipas dismissed those suggestions, as has Team Europe captain, Bjorn Borg, who clearly stated that he wants to beat Team World.
"What you said regarding competition, we hate the Rest of the World, come on (smiling). We are like this, believe it or not, but me and John, we are good friends, but when it comes sitting on the bench, looking at these guys, we are very competitive, and the same with these guys too."
"We hate to lose to the Rest of the world. Maybe you don't see that, but I think you can see that if you understand that kind of a thing."
Certain players are more invested than others, but at the end of the day, they all want to win. Tsitsipas believes that how they compete shows that they care to a certain extent because the competitive spirit takes over.
"We are trying to make tennis belong to us, to take it, bring it to Europe. We need that trophy (smiling)."
None of these players would be where they are without a strong competitive drive, and the Laver Cup is still a competitive event. It’s not exactly an exhibition, as there’s money to be won alongside the appearance fees, so there are clear incentives to perform well.
According to Tsitsipas, players care quite a lot about the Laver Cup, which can be observed from their performances and fighting spirit.
"People often tell me that it's an exhibition and you guys don't care and et cetera, but I'm like, trust me, we care a lot. There is a lot at stake, and we really want to get everything for ourselves."
"Of course being the player in that competition, it makes me understand every single year the Laver Cup gets held, I think the importance of it grows even more. It becomes more and more of a historical event the more the years pass."
At the end of the day, it's still a tricky question because some players certainly care more than others. It mostly comes down to the individual's competitive spirit.
Last year, some players approached the tournament very casually, but this year, it seems like all the players are really invested. Tsitsipas clearly cares a lot about winning, and Alexander Zverev, playing on home soil, is also eager for victory.
Carlos Alcaraz always plays to win, whether it’s an exhibition or not. Grigor Dimitrov certainly doesn’t lack competitive spirit, and the motivation of underdogs, Team World, shouldn't be questioned either.
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