"This is legendary, this is Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls" - Stefanos Tsitsipas on joining Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Murray at the Laver Cup soon
Stefanos Tsitsipas is set to join the likes of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, among others, in representing Team Europe at the Laver Cup this year. Andy Murray and Casper Ruud complete a star-studded six-member team that'll be in action at the O2 Arena in London starting September 23.
Veterans Nadal, Djokovic, Federer, and Murray will team up for the first time, making the Laver Cup a must-watch event in the second half of this season. Tsitsipas, speaking at his 2022 US Open pre-tournament press conference, likened his Europe team to that of Michael Jordan's legendary Chicago Bulls side, adding that he was "honored" to be in their midst.
"Let me first say this is legendary. This team lineup is a joke. This is Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls. I'm more than honored to be part of this team," Tsitsipas said.
The complete set: Team Europe London 2022
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The tournament will also mark Federer's return to action after an extended time on the sidelines. Tsitsipas stated that while he has no idea of the Swiss maestro's current status, he is looking forward to playing alongside him.
"I honestly don't know what Roger's status is, but I'm more than happy to see him back on court. What a privilege to have him in the team, play hopefully the first singles match. Yeah, all the best experiences that I've had on the court is playing Laver Cup, and that's why I've been such a big fan of it," he said.
"I learned so much from these greats. I get to share something very meaningful with them through the course of a three-day performance period. More than that, we get to connect and share such great ideas on court, off court, be part of something very extraordinary for our sport," he added.
Top-ranked Australian Alex de Minaur joins Team World on their quest to win the Laver Cup in London.
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Team World, meanwhile, will be represented by Felix Auger-Aliassime, Taylor Fritz, Diego Schwartzman, Jack Sock, Alex de Minaur and John Isner.
"She deserves a lot of credit for what she has done, she's a phenomenon" - Stefanos Tsitsipas on Serena Williams
Stefanos Tsitsipas also touched upon Serena Williams' retirement at his US Open pre-tournament press conference. He said that Williams has had a big impact on and off the court and that she deserves a lot of credit for her achievements.
"Serena has had, like, a domino effect with her career, with her community -- not her community, but other communities around the world. She has been very inspiring, including myself. What she has been able to do on the tennis court and outside the tennis court has brought the game of tennis so high and has made it so important as a sport," he said.
"So I give a lot of credit to her because she deserves a lot of credit for what she has done in this sport. She's a phenomenon. We won't see a lot of Serena in the next couple years to come," he added.
Speaking about Roger Federer, the World No. 5 said that it's only normal for a player to age, though he's still looking forward to seeing the 41-year-old return to the sport to win a few matches.
"At some point your body is not as responsive as it used to be, in his case in his younger years. I honestly think it will be nice to see him come back. It will be nice to see him win a few matches. I don't think anyone has more expectations than that at this point," Tsitsipas said, adding, "I have all the respect for him and Serena. I really wish one day I can do 1/10th of what they have achieved and done, be part of their legacy, be part of their history that they have created in tennis."