SEPT 25 - 27, 2026 | LONDON
Andre Agassi is savoring his extra-shot cappuccino. This on top of a Red Bull and a Diet Coke. Breakfast of champions.
Now in his second year as Team World captain, he’s taking in the scene amidst a courtside media scrum at The O2 in London, Laver Cup 2026 only days away. With seven-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz blistering backhands behind him, Agassi is fully aware of his status as underdog, at least on paper, and he’s fine with it. He’s been here before.
Agassi was an underdog when he triumphed just across town on the lawns of the All England Club in 1992, rolling past the serve-and-volley likes of Boris Becker, John McEnroe and, eventually, Goran Ivanisevic in five sets, falling to his knees in rapturous disbelief, at 21 his maiden Grand Slam title in hand.
The international Tennis Hall of Famer was an underdog, too, when he made his Laver Cup debut last year in San Francisco. His supposedly overmatched Team World contingent trailed, 3-1, after Day 1; swept the proceedings on Day 2 to go ahead, 9-3; then saw it all come down to a thrilling Taylor Fritz vs. Alexander Zverev clash on Day 3, ultimately prevailing, 15-9, for its third title in four years.
“This format is one of the greatest parts of this event, because it really does allow for an exciting ending to the weekend,” says Agassi, the first man to win all four major singles titles on three different surfaces.“Nobody would have thought we’d be down the first day, be up the second day, and be an inch away from losing it at the end. It’s going to be exciting. It’s nice to know what I’m in for this time.”
“I get the hunch we’ll be playing uphill,” he adds, “but that’s the fun part of this sport.”
His counterpart, second-year Team Europe captain Yannick Noah, is just happy to be playing on home ground this time around on the other side of the Atlantic.
“I don’t want to get used to losing to Andre,” he said with his patent grin. “Last time, I felt it was a good idea to let them win in America, you know? Now we’re in Europe. Now it’s our turn.”
Noah, the 1983 Roland Garros winner, returns five of his six starters from 2025, including Alcaraz and the world No. 2 Zverev, fresh of his title run at the US Open. Also back are Roland Garros runner-up Flavio Cobolli, Jakub Mensik and Casper Ruud, with 20-year-old rookie sensation Rafael Jodar the lone newcomer.
“I hope to give them a North Star to shoot towards. I want them to think about how they can be more themselves as they head out towards their dreams.” — Team World captain Andre Agassi
Fritz, Alex de Minaur and Francisco Cerundolo return to the Team World lineup, while Learner Tien, Brandon Nakashima and Alexander Bublik will be seeing their first Laver Cup action. Agassi and his vice-captain, former world No. 1 and on-court rival Patrick Rafter, hope to play motivational roles, without being too heavy-handed.
“You don’t parachute into any of these world-class champions’ lives,” Agassi, 56, explains. “They’re the best at what they do, because they care so much about detail and preparation. We can’t parachute in and make magic. What you can do is not screw them up. Hopefully, we can get the best out of them. But I do hope to give them a North Star to shoot towards. I want them to think about how they can be more themselves as they head out towards their dreams.”
The current climate of camaraderie that exists on the tour should help. It’s a long way from what Agassi experienced in his Fab Four days with countrymen/rivals Pete Sampras, Jim Courier and Michael Chang.
“It’s way different,” he says. “Pete and I, I mean, we couldn’t stand each other for a long period of time. We played on the same Davis Cup team, and everybody’s like, ‘You guys are so favored!’ We just had daggers for each other, and it cost us a few ties. Just watching these guys these days not take certain things personally and get the most out of themselves, it’s fun to be a part of.”
Both Agassi and Rafter nurtured a tight-knit team environment in their first go-round at San Francisco’s Chase Center, something they plan to continue in London.
“Team camaraderie goes a long way out there,” says Agassi. “So does humor. Humor can be a great icebreaker to allow somebody to be their best self. They don’t feel alone out there. Tennis can be a lonely sport. Watching these guys not only not let each other down, but at the same time actually try to press each other, it lends itself to a high level of competition. I’m not going to say they want it more than the Slams, because I’d be reading their minds to say that, but they certainly act like it.”
Fritz was the personification of that last year. Perhaps the signature moment of Laver Cup 2025 was the native Californian’s Saturday night, 6-3, 6-2 upset of Alcaraz, his first victory against a reigning No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
“There’s not a guy I look at that I don’t think can be better, in one way or another. I try to help them believe that,” says Agassi. “Sometimes that plays out very strategically, what he needs to do more of today than he usually does. And it’s also the clarity of conviction. I think Taylor brought what he needed to do. Alcaraz, he can wreak havoc against anybody. He can beat anybody at any time. But there are a few guys that, if they execute their game with full conviction, they can get to him. It meant a lot to Taylor, it meant a lot to the team, and it probably was the difference maker last year.”
And with that, Agassi, cappuccino in hand, heads across the black Laver Cup court to embrace Alcaraz. Just two champions greeting each other, one again an underdog.
