Roger Federer’s Laver Cup is returning with a new twist for the 2024 edition in Berlin. A fresh lineup of talent will replace the iconic but outgoing captains, John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg, in 2025. Rising to the occasion, the American rising star Ben Shelton has expressed his desire to deliver a fitting farewell to McEnroe by leading Team World to victory.

For context. The 21-year-old made a significant impression during last year’s Laver Cup with a dream debut for a Team World in Vancouver. Shelton played flawlessly, not dropping a single set and earning six of the 13 points that helped secure Team World’s triumph. As he prepares for this year’s event, with McEnroe’s guidance for one last time, Shelton has reflected on the emotional aspect of it.

In an interview with the Laver Cup website, Shelton stated, “It’s not every day that you get a captain who’s as invested, if not more invested, than you. His will to win and really wanting to beat up on the European guys was something that I thought was really cool, and I already had a huge amount of respect for Johnny Mac and I gained even more last year. Hopefully. we can make this last year for him really special.”

At the conclusion of this year’s Laver Cup, John McEnroe will be passing the torch to Andre Agassi. Similarly, Bjorn Borg will step down as captain to hand over the reins to former French world number 3 Yannick Noah.

McEnroe in an interview with the media on Monday said that they are going as “the underdog this year.” Whereas despite Team World’s consecutive victories(2022, 2023) at the Laver Cup, Vice Captain Patrick McEnroe believes his team is not favored to win the upcoming tournament in Berlin.

He stated, “We’re extremely excited that we get to have our final one here, we plan on going out with a three-peat having won the last two years. There’s a little bit of sadness about this final one for us, because it’s been such an amazing run.”

As Bjorn Borg prepares to pass the baton alongside John McEnroe, he opened up about how he also wants to achieve victory as Team Europe.

Bjorn Borg wants to achieve victory just like John McEnroe

One of tennis’s most renowned rivalries was between Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, and now they face off in their coaching roles at the Laver Cup. Borg is resolute in his quest to secure a victory once again. Despite acknowledging the challenging defeats his team faced in the previous two years, the former world number one expressed unwavering confidence in his current group.

He said, “I’m going to have great players in Berlin. I want to win. It’s my last year. I lost the last two years. I want to win again, but I don’t know, Team World is very good. John McEnroe and I are good friends, but he wants to win, too.”

As the Laver Cup approaches, excitement builds to see which team—Team Europe or Team World—will deliver a memorable farewell to their respective captains. With both teams brimming with talent and determination, the competition promises to be intense. Share your predictions and thoughts on which team will emerge victorious in the comment section below. Do let us know in the comment section below.