"I can apologize to Carlos Alcaraz" - Roger Federer seeks to make amends for snubbing Spaniard from Wimbledon practice session ahead of Laver Cup
Roger Federer recently mentioned that he owes Carlos Alcaraz an apology for once snubbing him from a practice session at Wimbledon. The Swiss icon's comments came just two days before the Laver Cup, which is set to begin on September 20.
In 2019, Federer enlisted the help of Alcaraz's coach and his former colleague, Juan Carlos Ferrero, for practice before his quarterfinal encounter with Kei Nishikori. After training with Ferrero, he also spent time hitting with the young Spaniard.
However, the 20-time Grand Slam champion, currently in Berlin, Germany, for the upcoming team event, revealed to the media that after their initial practice session, his coach asked if he wanted to practice with Alcaraz again. He declined, opting to continue with Ferrero instead.
Reflecting on it, Roger Federer said he feels the need to apologize to Carlos Alcaraz, now a two-time Wimbledon champion, for that decision.
"I barely know Carlos Alcaraz so I’m really excited to see him play for the very first time," the Swiss said.
"I only practiced once with him at Wimbledon when he was still a junior, and then the next day, my coach said, ‘Do you want to warm up with him again?’ and I said, ‘No, it’s okay, I’d rather warm up with his coach, who was my generation, Juan Carlos Ferrero.’ I can apologize to Carlos this week," he added with a laugh.
Roger Federer: "Team Europe is very strong this year, it’s stacked"
During the same media interaction, Roger Federer discussed the teams for the 2024 Laver Cup and assessed their chances. He believes Team Europe has the edge in singles, while Team World would excel in doubles.
"I think that Team Europe is very strong this year, it’s stacked," he said. "In the singles matches, we are heavy favorites even though I know that Team World has great players right now that are red hot and playing super well."
"I still think most of the matches in singles are going to go Team Europe’s way and then the doubles, I feel like most are going to go Team World’s way," he added.
Team Europe includes Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Grigor Dimitrov, under the leadership of captain Bjorn Borg. Originally, Rafael Nadal was part of the squad but withdrew a few days ago, making room for Dimitrov to step in as his replacement.
Meanwhile, Team World features Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Francisco Cerundolo, and Alejandro Tabilo.