Laver Cup
No. 1 Membership icons unite: Agassi, Rafter lead Staff World’s new period
Former World No. 1s take reins
September 18, 2025
Ezra Shaw/Getty Pictures
Staff World captain Andre Agassi (center) and vice captain Patrick Rafter (left) greet Jakub Mensik.
By ATP Workers
Andre Agassi and Patrick Rafter usually battled at among the sport’s greatest tournaments of their day. Now, they are going to stand aspect by aspect as they information Staff World on the Laver Cup.
Staff World captain Agassi and vice captain Rafter, two of the 29 members within the ATP No. 1 Club, are taking on in a brand new period of Laver Cup management. Agassi is changing John McEnroe as Staff World’s captain whereas Yannick Noah spearheads Staff Europe, previously led by Bjorn Borg.
“Fact be informed, I don’t assume I’d’ve performed it if Pat didn’t say he would be part of me,” Agassi informed ATPTour.com. “I actually mentioned, ‘You’re the man I need’. He was one of many nice gamers, one of many nice athletes, one of many nice rivals.”
Agassi and Rafter met 15 instances, spanning 1993-2001, of their Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry, with the American successful 10 of these matches. Now, greater than twenty years after their ultimate assembly, Agassi and Rafter’s mutual respect and friendship can be on show in San Francisco.
“He was a kind of guys who once I misplaced to him, I may truly take just a little solace in the truth that, ‘Properly, at the very least Pat gained and I’m glad for him’,” mirrored Agassi. “He simply all the time earned gamers’ respect on and off the court docket and now to share the identical aspect of the web with him is a win for me.”
Rafter echoed that very same sentiment to the assembled media: “Andre requested me, “Do you wish to be concerned?” Being with Andre is superior. I did preserve in touch with him every year. You do not usually preserve in touch with a number of the ex-players. Simply a lot respect for him… That is so lovely, so superb. [I’m] spoiled rotten, I am loving it.”
After a slim 13-11 defeat final 12 months, Staff World will intention for its third Laver Cup triumph (2022, 2023) with new voices on the sideline.
