Tennis legend John McEnroe went into last year’s Laver Cup an underdog.
He’d captained Team World through the first four iterations of the international tournament, falling each time to a star-studded Team Europe helmed by his long-time rival Bjorn Borg.
The losses were beginning to weigh.
“I was starting to feel like the Washington Generals playing the Globetrotters,” McEnroe told reporters on a video call Thursday. “This was getting to be too much.”
It was a Canadian that proved to be the difference maker.
Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime teamed up with American Jack Sock to down Andy Murray and Matteo Berrettini in doubles action, then stunned onlookers with a singles win over Novak Djokovic to give World a lead that ultimately turned into the team’s first Laver Cup title.
“Félix was our MVP last year,” McEnroe said. “He really turned the tide for us big time, beating Novak, winning a huge doubles match. And that was critical for us.”
The 22-year-old Canadian will look to help Team World defend its title when the tournament founded by Roger Federer’s management company comes to Vancouver Sept. 22-24.
The annual event sees six of the top men’s players from across Europe battle six of the top players from around the world, and Auger-Aliassime became the first player named to McEnroe’s 2023 squad earlier this month.
Bringing the current world No. 9 back was a “no brainer,” the captain said.
“It seemed like he got a spark from [last year’s] Laver Cup because he went out and had a great fall and showed who was boss out there for the next two, three months,” he said. “So he’s got to bring that type of energy and willingness to keep improving.”
Auger-Aliassime won four ATP Tour titles in 2022 and helped Canada to its first Davis Cup victory. He also climbed to a career-high sixth spot on the world rankings in November.
There are higher accolades in the young athlete’s future, McEnroe said.
“I think he’s going to win a major in the next year, 18 months at the most,” he said. “I think he’s made great progress.”
Canadian tennis as a whole has captured the world’s attention in recent years.
Back in 2019, Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, had just defeated Serena Williams to win the U.S. Open, while Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., sat above a number of Americans in the world rankings.
“We’re like, ‘Wait a minute. What’s going on? I thought Canada was just hockey players.’ They were better in tennis than we were and we [Americans] were like ‘What the hell’s going on up there?’” said McEnroe, an American who won 77 ATP singles titles and 78 doubles titles over the course of his playing career.
“Back in my day, you’re like ‘I hope I play a Canadian.’ Not the case anymore.”
Tennis Canada appears to have given young, up-and-coming athletes the support they need, and more success is likely to come, he added.
Shapovalov is one player that McEnroe believes could be in for bigger wins.
The 23-year-old is currently ranked 27th in the world, down from the career-high 10th he achieved back in September, 2020.
He’s been compared to McEnroe for his intensity and occasional on-court incidents, including vocal disputes with umpires.
“Denis is hugely talented. He’s a good kid, he works at it. At times, he’s a little bit like a chicken with his head cut off – you don’t know exactly what you’re going to get from him, which is difficult to play against,” McEnroe said.
What Shapovalov needs in order to take another step is consistency, said the legend, who now runs a tennis academy in New York
“You’ve seen signs with Denis that he can go a long way. And I wouldn’t say he couldn’t win a major. He could absolutely win a major. But he’s got to shore up a couple things in his mind and be able to sort of, as seldomly as possible, beat himself,” McEnroe said.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
