Andy Murray, Andre Agassi, Arthur Fery: Laver Cup All-Access Pass | The Sports Agents - The Sports Agents

Jon Sopel (0:02)

This is a Global Production.

Andre Agassi (0:05)

I just, I don't, my first and foremost goal is not to screw it up, because this can live on its own.

Lewis Goodall (0:11)

Just listening to the grunt of Carlos Alcácer.

Jon Sopel (0:13)

I know, I'm actually, yeah.

Andre Agassi (0:16)

You want to talk about intimidating me right now.

Hey, can you keep it down a little bit with that serve? I'm sorry.

Lewis Goodall (0:25)

He's obviously in the zone.

Jon Sopel (0:27)

He's very focused.

Lewis Goodall (0:28)

I've never heard you raise your voice until now.

Jon Sopel (0:30)

Oh, yeah, kind of.

Andre Agassi (0:31)

Keep it down with that serve, huh? It's too, keep it down. It's too noisy.

Go, go. I love it. I love it. Keep bringing it. I love it.

Lewis Goodall (0:59)

Hello and welcome to The Sports Agents. Today, we're coming from the O2. Behind me, you can hear Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev warming up ahead of the Labour Cup. They're going to be teammates for Europe who are taking on the world. It's kind of tennis' version of the Ryder Cup. And we're going to get a chance to chat to Andre Agassi, Andy Murray and Great Britain's Arthur Fery about retirement, rivalries, and what it's like when the loneliest sport in the world becomes a team game.

Andre, thank you so much for talking to us ahead of what is going to be an exciting weekend. It's clear that this is a role you really relish being captain of the world.

Andre Agassi (1:40)

Yeah, last year was my first year when we were home. And I had a great time. I had a great time because of these guys. We were close. It's camaraderie.

And they're the best in the world at what they do. So their attention to detail and knowing what they need and getting to know them over the, especially over this last year and getting to know their coaches and how they process and figuring out how not to screw them up and having the best seat in the house. I mean, this is an incredible arena. And it's incredible players. And it's an incredible weekend at tennis.

Lewis Goodall (2:08)

And it's a format that is unfamiliar to tennis in the sense of every week, it's, you know, you're an individual, you're on the tour, you're traveling on your own. Coming together as a team is something that all the players seem to really relish. Take us back to your experience because you've written so candidly about the loneliness of being a tennis player.

Andre Agassi (2:27)

Yeah, I mean, team is different, you know. I mean, unfortunately, when I played Davis Cup, I also had my teammates being Sampras, Currier, Chang, who was all fighting for number one in the world.

Lewis Goodall (2:38)

So didn't feel like much of a team?

Andre Agassi (2:40)

Yeah, no, it was just like whatever you need to do to beat your best, do it. And we won as a team, but it felt a little bit more individual than the next generation of Americans with the Roddicks and the Marty Fishes and the Easners and the Bryan Brothers.

But with that being said, you know, these guys here, if you think about it, right? They're playing for the best players in the world, right? As their own team. But at the same time, they're also impressing them, you know? So they just have so many reasons to be sharp and at their best competing against the best in the world. So the level of intensity and quality of competition is unparalleled. I mean, listen, people play great in slams because they want it, but it's very individual and you can get different levels of tennis at a slam. Here, it just seems like the format combined with the atmosphere of this team dynamic is pretty spectacular tennis.

Lewis Goodall (3:35)

You said in your book that there was a perceived team, or you've talked about a perceived team until you experienced a real team, which is this experience for you now. How much would you have enjoyed being in a Lever Cup team?

Andre Agassi (3:49)

Oh, I would have loved it. I would have loved, again, it's not just the team, it's also the format, right? The format allows for explosive sprint kind of tennis, right? So you're playing two sets with a tiebreaker for a third. You have a value of one point for each match on the first day, a value of two points on the second day, a value of three points on the third day. So it's hard to break away and just blow something out. It always gets intense. Everything matters. And so for that, I got to say, that would have been fun. Not coming out here worried about three out of five, or not coming out here worried about a deep three setter and having to come back the next day. It's just you're coming out here, you're letting it fly.