Captain Bjorn Borg reflects on a treasured Laver Cup journey

Bjorn Borg is leading Team Europe at the Laver Cup as captain for the final time, with the competition currently underway in Berlin.

Borg boasts four Laver Cup wins from six editions of the competition, with his old rival and Team World captain John McEnroe winning the other two.

McEnroe has predicted success for Andre Agassi, who will take over from his compatriot as captain for the 2025 Laver Cup.

Replacing the Swede at the competition in San Francisco meanwhile is Yannick Noah, who certainly has big shoes to fill.

Borg will certainly leave with many fantastic memories, having won the respect of many European stars over the years.

Team Europe Captain Björn Borg poses with Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas of Team Europe and the Laver Cup trophy after their 14-1 win over…

Bjorn Borg has claimed tennis in the modern era is more “gruelling” than it was during his playing career and admitted current stars have a “big responsibility” to promote the sport.

One of the most popular players in the history of the sport, Borg won 11 Grand Slam singles titles during his playing career and spent 109 weeks as the world No 1.

The Swedish icon largely stayed away from tennis after his retirement but has captained Team Europe at the Laver Cup since 2017, and is leading the team for one final time in 2024

Speaking to the New York Times, the 68-year-old admitted the way modern players play was tougher than during his career, and praised current stars for embracing the role they play in growing the sport.

He said: “They hit the ball harder. It’s much more gruelling to play the way they do.

“There is also the TV aspect to it. They are big stars. Tennis has become one of the biggest sports in the world and they have a big responsibility. They have to inspire people and promote the sport.

“It’s different than if you are a star in football. You don’t have to promote your sport. But if we talk about their fame, then they must be doing a great job.

“They all understand that no one player is bigger than the sport itself.”

Nowadays, stars on the ATP and WTA will usually also have hitting partners, physios, and psychologists travel with them.

“They have the big teams around them and these people are doing an incredible job,” the Swede added.

“I did OK, even if I stopped too early, but I never had that big team of people to go around the world with that makes you feel so supported.

I was the first one who really travelled with a coach. Today everyone has a coach and a physio and all these other people. Tennis, it’s such a demanding sport.