Andre Agassi and Yannick Noah herald new era for the Laver Cup

For seven years, Björn Borg and John McEnroe captained Team Europe and Team World at the Laver Cup. Together with the players, the two ex-professionals experienced ups and downs. In the first four years, it was always Team Europe that won the title together with Borg. Borg still remembers today: ‘My highlight was the first victory in Prague in 2017. We went there and no one really knew what was going to happen. From that point on, we celebrated great successes every year.’

For McEnroe, who left the Laver Cup as a ‘loser’ with Team World for four years, it was a challenging time: ‘We did feel like we were wondering if we would ever manage to win. We were under pressure,’ said the American. But Team World's first victory followed in 2022: ‘That was definitely my highlight!’

Borg & McEnroe say goodbye – Agassi & Noah take over

After more than seven years, during which Borg and McEnroe not only got to know and coach the world's best players for a week each year, but were also able to take their friendship to a new level, they stepped down at the Laver Cup 2024 in Berlin.

‘For me, this is very emotional because it was the best week of the year,’ confessed Borg.

From 2025, Andre Agassi and Yannick Noah take over the captaincy of the Laver Cup. For both former professionals, it is a return to the big tennis stage that began in Berlin. Both Agassi and Noah attended the Gala Dinner as part of the team event and followed the action on site with great interest over the following days.

It's not so much about parachuting into their lives for a week. Rather, I want to engage in open communication and get to know them!

‘Until now, I've only seen the players‘ commitment, enthusiasm and energy from a distance. This is the first time I've been able to see the event up close,’ said the new Team World Captain Agassi in an interview with Tennis Channel DE. ‘For me, it was a good opportunity to keep myself occupied with the game, to stay connected to the sport and hopefully gain new experiences,’ said the 54-year-old about his reasons for accepting the new role.

His goal as a coach? ‘I want to get to know the guys properly,’ he explained. ‘It's not so much about parachuting into their lives for a week. Rather, I want to have open communication and get to know them, to learn what makes them tick as competitors, and to be able to offer a little help where I can.’

Andre is a different type of personality. He's more analytical, so he'll bring something different to the players!

While McEnroe may have a hard time letting go of the past seven years, the former captain is convinced that Agassi will bring something to Team World in the future.

‘Andre is a different kind of personality. He'll bring something different,’ said McEnroe. ’He'll do a great job and I'm sure the players will look forward to hearing what he has to say. I'm more of a guy who tries to motivate the players with his energy. And he's more analytical, so he'll give them something different.’

Yannick has experience, he knows his tennis. He will be a very good captain.

Agassi's opponent will be the Frenchman Yannick Noah, who will strengthen the five-time Laver Cup winners from Team Europe. But for Noah, being captain of the Laver Cup is much more than just looking after the team.

‘Even though everyone now lives their own lives, we miss each other. Tennis is in our DNA,’ he explains the circumstances of the retired tennis pros. But it's not just his reunion with McEnroe, Borg and Agassi in Berlin that makes the 64-year-old want more: ’I'm looking forward to getting to know the new players, meeting them, having a relaxed dinner, as friends. It's very cool and I'm looking forward to taking it all in.’

As the French Davis Cup and Fed Cup captain, Noah has already gained a wealth of experience in successfully managing teams over the past 30 years. Nevertheless, his friend Björn Borg offered him his continued support: ‘Yannick has experience, he knows his way around tennis. He will be a very good captain. So if he follows me, and we are very good friends, he will do a great job.’

In the future, Noah's team could also include world number two Alexander Zverev, who celebrated his fifth Laver Cup appearance in Berlin.

Because not only Agassi and Noah have to prepare for their new task, the players will also get to know new personalities from tennis history.

‘I will always be happy when I am nominated,’ the 27-year-old Zverev told Tennis Channel DE.

Yannick is a completely different captain. Björn Borg was, so to speak, the first super professional in the tennis world, Yannick Noah was an artist. I'm looking forward to it!

In Berlin, Agassi and Noah were able to get a first glimpse of the spectacular team event and make their first contacts. Although, actually, many of the players were already familiar with the legends of tennis.

When Agassi was interviewed on the black carpet, he was unexpectedly embraced from the side – Zverev had spotted him. Agassi explained with a laugh: ‘That's why I wanted to be here.’

Although Zverev was visibly pleased to see the American, he also noted that they would not be playing on the same team in the future: ‘You say that this year, but next year it will be different,’ the German top player grinned at Agassi.

But this situation alone shows that the organisers' plan, masterminded by Roger Federer, has worked: namely to bring together the different generations and legends of tennis and create a platform where they can all meet and exchange ideas.