Nick Kyrgios lays down Laver Cup gauntlet to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal
Nick Kyrgios has urged his Team World teammates to not be intimidated by the star power on Team Europe at the Laver Cup, boasting: ‘I have beaten them all.’
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are set to team up again for the doubles this year, with Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev, and Stefanos Tsitsipas also within Europe’s ranks.
However, Kyrgios was typically up for a fight when asked about the apparent relative weakness of Team World.
“I’m personally not scared of that team,” Kyrgios told reporters.
“I’ve beaten every single one of their members and I know guys on my team have beaten them before as well.”
Team world have just one player, John Isner, who is currently ranked inside the world top 20, and he only just makes it.
Kyrgios, though, is unfazed by such matters, adding: “On paper we’re an underdog but I think ranking is the most overrated thing ever and I strongly believe that we can win.
“We were so close last year, we had match points to win the whole thing. John [Isner] had match points against Federer, I had match points against Federer. But we got super unlucky.”
Roger Federer agrees that the competition is probably not as clear-cut as the rankings suggest.
“We have incredible depth,” Federer said. “The problem is we are indoors, best of three (sets), super-tiebreaker in the third, and we are playing against big servers who like the indoors and all have a big forehand.
“So as much as we are the favourites, I do think it’s going to be extremely tight.”
Europe are yet to lose a Laver Cup having won both the previous editions in Prague and Chicago.
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