LAVER CUP

September 24, 2023

Bjorn Borg

Gael Monfils

Hubert Hurkacz

Team Europe

Press Conference

AUGERALIASSIME-SHELTON/Hurkacz-Monfils

7-5, 6-4

Team Europe - 2

Team World - 10

THE MODERATOR: Thanks for your time, guys.

Hubert, just to start with you, your thoughts on the match tonight.

HUBERT HURKACZ: Well, I think I started well. I think we were battling with Frances. I think I had some opportunities. I don't think I returned as good as I could have and maybe could have been a little bit more aggressive, but definitely, no, Frances played on a really high level today.

Yeah, just, I mean, there are some things I could have done better. I wasn't serving really well, but, you know, he was putting some really good shots. Yeah, and then it was a solid performance by him.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Bjorn, you haven't been in this situation before with Laver Cup where you're going to have to come from behind to win. How do you handle that? What are you going to be saying to your team overnight to be able to try and turn things around for tomorrow?

CAPTAIN BJORN BORG: Well, first of all, Team World is playing great tennis. They have been playing really good tennis for two days right now.

We have a difficult task for tomorrow. I mean, we have to win all four matches, basically. We have to do that.

I mean, the team is ready to play. I mean, we're just going to go out and they're going to try to do their best to win the matches.

We still have a chance, but it's not impossible. It looks very difficult, but it's not impossible.

I mean, it's a new day tomorrow. All the guys are ready. They want to play. They're eager. They're going to go out and we are going to try to do their best. The situation is very difficult, but once again, they have been playing great tennis, Team World.

Q. Hubi, just talk about how you're feeling physically. That was a big ask for you to play back to back. How are you feeling?

HUBERT HURKACZ: Easy, no problem.

Q. You were up for the task when you were asked, Can you pull off the back-to-back? You were all good?

HUBERT HURKACZ: No, definitely, definitely. No, especially with the format that it is, with the super-tiebreaker, why we have it like today.

CAPTAIN BJORN BORG: Another thing is, too, of course we all are very disappointed. I mean, it's one day to go, one more day to go, and the score is what it is.

But of course we're disappointed, but still we're going to go out and, once again, we're going to go out and try to win the matches.

Q. Gael, just playing against the kids, per se, tonight, what was the challenge in the doubles against the guys, they have youth on their side, they're creative? What was the challenge like tonight against those two guys?

GAEL MONFILS: It was not easy. They both had fire, you know, like I think both have big weapons. They show it tonight. Big serves, great returns. They were quite tough at the net, as well.

You know, I think with Hubi, we won't be surprised, but they hit like pretty good shots at the net, and, you know, they're young, they have this fire.

It was beautiful to see, to be honest. And to play against is always, always great. Always great to try to compete with youngsters.

Q. Gael, how is your first Laver Cup experience going?

GAEL MONFILS: I think it could go better. You know, we are losing. Only Casper, he's actually try to help us on the board.

But so far it's great. You know, Bjorn is a legend, he's a great person. I feel like, you know, he was there and understand me quite good, quite good man, very good. We have a good talk, and then with the others, you know, on the tour, we all pretty friends. It was great so far. I really like it.

Q. You guys, I think you fought off four match points on whose serve? I forgot. What were you guys saying to each other to keep fighting in those moments?

HUBERT HURKACZ: Well, I was just, you know, trying to say where I'm going to serve and (indiscernible). No, definitely we're always fighting till the last point and always believing, and then that's why we are here. That's what we're gonna do tomorrow, and, you know, we're gonna have a good night of sleep and we'll come with a fresh energy for tomorrow, because it's a really difficult task.

I mean, they have been playing really, really well, all of the guys, but on paper they can win those matches, but we can also win all of those four matches. We're gonna try to do it.

We have a good team spirit. Yeah, we'll just have fun out there and then compete as hard as we can and try to win.

(Questions in French.)