San Francisco: Australian tennis legend and former world No. 1 Pat Rafter has been selected for the role of vice-captain of Team World for the Laver Cup, working closely with captain Andre Agassi. Rafter replaces American Patrick McEnroe, who had been Team World's vice captain since the inaugural Laver Cup in Prague in 2017.
“Two-time US Open champion Rafter will debut in his new position at the eighth edition of the tournament to be held at the prestigious Chase Center in San Francisco from September 19-21,” the Laver Cup said in a statement. As a player, the Australian icon was a fixture at the highest levels of the game throughout her career, the highlight of which was her consecutive US Open titles in 1997 and 1998. He also reached the Wimbledon finals in 2000 and 2001 and was world No. 1 in 1999.
Rafter said in a statement shared by Laver Cup, “I am looking forward to getting back into the professional game and working with Andre – this time on the same side of the net! We are very old and although he is one of my biggest rivals I have nothing but respect for him again, getting to know the players and hopefully inspiring the current generation of champions.”
Agassi, who will lead Team World for the first time this year, expressed his excitement over Rafter's addition, saying, “Pat's experience, leadership and character make him the perfect fit for this role. His legacy speaks for itself.” “And I know the players and I will benefit greatly from his insight and behavior. Together we will focus on building a strong and committed team with the goal of winning in San Francisco.”
The Laver Cup pits the six best male players from Europe against six players from the rest of the world in a grueling team competition over three days. Each team is captained by a stalwart of the game.
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