By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday, April 24 2023
Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios has confirmed he will join Team World later this year for the sixth edition of Laver Cup, to be held at Rogers Arena in Vancouver from September 22-24, 2023.
“Nick is one of the most talented guys on tour,” said seven-time Grand Slam Singles Champion McEnroe. “We saw the level of tennis he’s capable of last year at Wimbledon and we’re all looking forward to seeing him on the court again soon. He brings great energy and passion. I’m excited to have him back on the team in Vancouver.”
Kyrgios has represented Team World in four of the five editions of Laver Cup – in Prague (2017), Chicago (2018), Geneva (2019) and Boston (2021). He missed last year’s Laver Cup in London, where Team World finally captured their inaugural title but hopes he can help continue their success this year.
Kyrgios has been working out on the court again after undergoing knee surgery in February. The Aussie underwent an arthroscopic procedure to clean up his lateral meniscus and remove a paralabral cyst in the final week of January and is still not ready to compete. But he is sounding confident in his tennis again.
“Obviously had surgery after my season last year,” he said. “Missed out on a couple of exciting moments, obviously the Australian Open, I was looking forward to going out there and putting on a show in front of my home country, but I had to look after my body. It feels good. I’m back on the tennis court now and getting ready to get back out there and compete – it’s an exciting time.
Kyrgios has taken part in four Laver Cups, but he missed last year’s event.
“I feel like a veteran coming back into the team that needs a bit of assistance to do it again – I think they need that energy and I can bring that. Obviously after the season I played I feel dangerous, I feel like I’m playing super good tennis and I feel like everyone knows that as well. Especially on my team, they are going to encourage me to get back to that tennis and I know that Team Europe is a bit scared when they play me – I have winning records against most of their players and I’m looking forward to getting back out there.”
Tsitsipas will make his fourth Laver Cup appearance and Rublev his second on the six-man team.
Top ranked Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime and Americans Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe have also been named on McEnroe’s Team World as the event comes to Canada and the Northwest for the first time.