“It's a serious competition” - Carlos Alcaraz addresses teaming up with his rivals ahead of Laver Cup debut in Berlin

Carlos Alcaraz expressed his excitement for his Laver Cup debut in Berlin calling it a 'serious competition'. The Spaniard will compete for Bjorn Borg-led Team Europe, alongside his rivals at the high-octane exhibition event.

After an underwhelming campaign at the US Open, Alcaraz helped Team Spain clinch a spot in the Final 8 of the 2024 Davis Cup and top their group with some emphatic performances. Now, the 21-year-old has his sights set on bringing back the Laver Cup to Team Europe. He will be teaming up with some of his biggest rivals on the tour to try to get the job done.

Alongside the Spaniard, Team Europe includes Grigor Dimitrov (Rafael Nadal's replacement), Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, Alexander Zverev, and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Ahead of the event, Carlos Alcaraz said that he loved the 'prestigious' exhibition tournament and expressed his desire to become a Laver Cup champion.

"I love it and I wanted to be part of it,” he said (via Laver Cup's official website). "It’s a serious competition. I think we have to represent Europe, you know, in the best way possible. The prestige that this tournament has, and, being a Laver Cup champion is a huge thing."

The World No. 3 said that he was going to enjoy spending time with his rivals and not only talking about tennis but other things as well.

"We are going to laugh a lot, I’m sure about it. Having a lot of time with them and speaking with them about something else, not only tennis, is going to be different … and I like different things,” he said.

"Rod Laver was one of the players that bring tennis to the top of the sport" - Carlos Alcaraz lavishes praise on Aussie legend and Bjorn Borg

Carlos Alcaraz (Image Source: Getty)

In the same interview, Carlos Alcaraz praised Rod Laver, a two-time Calender Slam conqueror and the person the Laver Cup is named after, calling him an influential figure who helped tennis reach the pinnacle of the sporting world.

“He was one of the players that bring tennis to the top of the sport.”

Alcaraz also praised Bjorn Borg, who is in his final Laver Cup, and mentioned how his father is a huge fan of the Swede. He felt that learning under Borg's tutelage would be an important experience for his professional as well as personal career.

“A legend from tennis and from the sport in general,” the Spaniard said. “My dad is a huge fan of him as well. So being, you know, a coach from Bjorn Borg is going to be a really important moment for me, for my career, for my life.”

The Laver Cup is a three-day event, set to begin on September 20.