LAVER CUP

September 27, 2026

Flavio Cobolli

Jakub Mensik

Tim Henman

O2 Arena

Team Europe

Press Conference

COBOLLI-MENSIK/de Minaur-Fritz

7-5, 6-3

Team Europe - 10

Team World - 5

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, Flavio and Jakub. That was a fantastic win out there.

You started today knowing that matches are worth three points, and you've now managed to take Team Europe to a 10-5 lead, just one match away from victory.

How did you manage to handle the pressure out there today? And what advice did Tim and Yannick give you from the bench?

FLAVIO COBOLLI: I mean, I really like pressure when I play tennis, so we knew since the first day that today count three and not one. You have to be prepared every day to play on this condition.

I didn't play with Jakub before this match, but I knew that we are in good relationship. We can bring all the energy to win this match. We got the chance, and we took it, so we are really happy to take these three points for the team.

Also, because I was feeling bad yesterday about my loss, so it's great for me to won this match and bring the energy up.

JAKUB MENSIK: Yeah, definitely, like Flavio said, the pressure situation, these are the moments that we live for. Yeah, definitely even ranking-wise when maybe they were the better ones on the paper, like Flavio said, we knew about each other quality. And I saw a lot of doubles, you know, and when Flavio is playing, like he said, in the beginning, we play for the first time, so we needed to take some time to get to know each other a little bit on the court.

So the start was a little bit tricky, but the longer as the match was going, I feel like we were feeling more and more comfortable.

I mean, at the end, especially me, I was not even thinking about it's like a three-pointer match. I mean, I was enjoying the moments on the court. The team bring really, really great energy.

Yeah, I mean, having Yannick and Tim obviously on the bench supporting you, it's really something that gives you a lot of confidence.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. A question for you, Tim. It used to be that Team World were dominating in doubles at Laver Cup, and things seemed to have changed. Team Europe is proving the stronger combinations. Can you talk about that and also the decision to put these two guys out today who hadn't played before?

VICE CAPTAIN TIM HENMAN: Yeah, I think that's also a reflection of how the game of doubles has changed. Before, it was so much serve and volley oriented, you get to the net at every opportunity. But the way the players serve and how strong they are from the back of the court, it gives you a lot more options. I think that's where, when you look at our team, I would have felt pretty confident whoever was out on the court.

We've had, you know, a really busy last five or six days. You take into account the physical nature of the surface and how demanding the matches are. I think certainly for Carlos, having not played a lot of tennis in the last five months with just one tournament, he's feeling it in his body, so to prioritize the singles for him.

With Flavio and Jakub ready to go, it was a good combination. I think with Fritz and de Minaur having to play singles, as well, we would have been happy to keep them out there as long as possible.

As they said, they didn't get off to the best start, but it's not always about how you start. It's how you finish. These two were brilliant to bring us the three points and one match win away from victory.

Q. To Jakub or to Flavio, obviously you came in today two wins away, and they came in three wins away, so when you're an early break down, does it make it easier for you to come back because your finish line is closer? Does that give you a bit of a boost?

JAKUB MENSIK: I mean, definitely compared, for example, to the last year, it was the opposite. We needed three matches to win; they needed two.

Yeah, I mean, it's of course better position to have. Even if we were breaker down, I believed in us that we had opportunities on the return, and it's something that in doubles, you know, anything can happen.

So like I'm saying even if we had the slow start, I think this thought and obviously the facts that we had on the court bring us more confidence and definitely better position.

Q. A huge congratulations to you guys on the win. Flavio and Jakub, you're both incredibly strong singles players, so what adjustments and changes needed to be made for to you come out as doubles players and really thrive in that environment? What changes and adjustments needed to happen?

FLAVIO COBOLLI: We are playing in team competition, so it's not possible to play only doubles here. All of us, we are singles players, so one has to play doubles, and today it was our turn.

For me, it's an incredible thing to do, because it's another chance to play on this court, another chance to play in front of the crowd, and on Laver Cup is always special for me, especially with them.

But doesn't make any difference for me to play singles or doubles today. The only thing that I wanted was the win.

Q. Tim, just a question about the other British member of Team Europe, Arthur Fery, he's obviously not played but we've seen a lot of clips of him on the bench getting involved. How much has he embraced this experience?

VICE CAPTAIN TIM HENMAN: Well, you'd have to ask him that, but from where I've sat, he's been a brilliant part of the team. He's been out on the practice court hitting, working on his own game, but hitting with the rest of the guys.

When you think about his last 12 months, where he's come from and obviously life-changing performance at Wimbledon, getting to the semifinals, to be around these very, very top players, it's such a good experience. I'm sure he's learnt a lot.

He's been involved in everything, and hopefully this will be another motivating factor to keep putting the hard work in and keep improving his rankings and be part of the European Laver Cup team in L.A.

Q. For the players, what have your interactions been with the two captains? How have they helped you on or off the court?

VICE CAPTAIN TIM HENMAN: Be nice, boys.

FLAVIO COBOLLI: For me, especially -- I mean, you make me shy now. (Laughter.)

VICE CAPTAIN TIM HENMAN: Never.

JAKUB MENSIK: I guess Tim brings the jokes and Yannick brings the energy. (Laughter.)

VICE CAPTAIN TIM HENMAN: Good combination.

JAKUB MENSIK: No, I mean --

FLAVIO COBOLLI: What can I say now?

JAKUB MENSIK: No, it's fine. Leave it up to me (smiling).

Yeah, of course, yeah, it's great combination, especially, I think, after the last year when, I mean, it was, even for me for the first time and for them, as well, so it's something that this year, it's a little bit different.

We knew what's gonna happen, so yeah, definitely all of us, and especially Tim and Yannick, the most important thing, and I'm very happy and I appreciate that they do everything for us to feel the most comfortable and to feel, you know, just ready, not give us that much pressure, because at the end of the day, it's just a game, and all of us, we know this.

So just them, having them on the bench and supporting us, that's all what matters.