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Andy Roddick Responds to Andre Agassi’s Comments on Alexander Zverev at the Laver Cup

Team Europe emerged victorious over Team World with a 13-5 scoreline at the 2026 Laver Cup. The win was sealed when Alexander Zverev defeated Learner Tien in straight sets, clinching the overall victory for his team.

Andre Agassi’s Post-Match Remarks

After the match, Team World captain Andre Agassi took a playful jab at world number two Zverev. Agassi praised Zverev’s breakthrough Grand Slam win but teased him about his attitude during press conferences prior to that victory.

“Congratulations, Sascha, on a crazy year. Seeing you win [a Grand Slam] for the first time, I know how important that was to you, and it was important to me too, because I could start listening to your press conferences again. You weren’t like, ‘Waah, why do I always lose? Why am I the third best in the world? I suck.’ But then you win, and it’s like, ‘I’m only a one-time Slam champion; I’ve got to do it again,’” Agassi said.

Andy Roddick’s Take on Agassi’s Comments

Former world number one Andy Roddick reacted to Agassi’s remarks during his podcast, Served with Andy Roddick. He noted Agassi’s skill in shifting from teasing Zverev to delivering an earnest message to his team, who struggled on the final day.

“Andre has an unbelievable ability to shift gears very, very quickly. He can go from kind of roasting Zverev to having a very heartfelt moment to his team. His team loves playing for him; by the way, there is no doubt about it,” Roddick said.

Roddick also pointed out that Zverev usually accepts criticism well.

“Say what you want about Sascha, and obviously there are a million different opinions. In my experience, if you go after him, he normally receives it well. I’ve criticised him and his game, and he’ll often go, ‘yeah, that’s accurate.’”

Zverev’s Recent Performance Record (Since March)

  • Indian Wells: Semi-final, 4 wins (Matteo Berrettini, Brandon Nakashima, Frances Tiafoe, Arthur Fils), lost to Jannik Sinner
  • Miami Open: Semi-final, 4 wins (Martin Damm Jr, Marin Cilic, Quentin Halys, Francisco Cerundolo), lost to Jannik Sinner
  • Monte Carlo Masters: Semi-final, 3 wins (Cristian Garin, Zizou Bergs, Joao Fonseca), lost to Jannik Sinner
  • Munich Open: Semi-final, 3 wins (Miomir Kecmanovic, Gabriel Diallo, Francisco Cerundolo), lost to Flavio Cobolli
  • Madrid Open: Final, 5 wins (Mariano Navone, Terence Atmane, Jakub Mensik, Flavio Cobolli, Alexander Blockx), lost to Jannik Sinner
  • Italian Open: Fourth round, 2 wins (Daniel Altmaier, Alexander Blockx), lost to Luciano Darderi
  • French Open: Champion, 7 wins (Benjamin Bonzi, Tomas Machac, Quentin Halys, Jesper De Jong, Rafael Jodar, Jakub Mensik, Flavio Cobolli)
  • Halle Open: Semi-final, 3 wins (Vit Kopriva, Yannick Hanfmann, Raphael Collignon), lost to Taylor Fritz
  • Wimbledon: Final, 6 wins (Alexander Blockx, Valentin Royer, Marcos Giron, Jiri Lehecka, Taylor Fritz, Arthur Fery), lost to Jannik Sinner
  • Canadian Open: Second round, no wins, lost to Tallon Griekspoor
  • Cincinnati Open: Fourth round, 2 wins (Cameron Norrie, Terence Atmane), lost to Tommy Paul
  • US Open: Champion, 7 wins (Lorenzo Sonego, Quentin Halys, Alejandro Tabilo, Luciano Darderi, Botic van de Zandschulp, Karen Khachanov, Ben Shelton)
  • Laver Cup: Champion, 1 win (Learner Tien), lost to Alex de Minaur

Roddick on Zverev’s Reaction to Agassi’s Speech

Roddick believes Agassi knew exactly how to reach his audience, especially since Zverev had won two majors recently, making him more receptive to jokes.

“I think Andre knew his audience there, and obviously when you feel good, and you’ve won two majors in the last 90 days, you tend to take a joke a little better. But then you could see him shift gears from giving s— to really appreciating the time and effort that his guys put into it.”

Zverev appeared to take Agassi’s comments lightly, laughing along with Team Europe. Roddick remarked it’s easier to laugh when you’re winning.

Zverev’s Upcoming Challenge: China Open

Following the Laver Cup, Alexander Zverev will compete at the China Open in Beijing. As the top seed, he's the favorite to win, but his path will be tough.

  • 1st Round: Cameron Norrie
  • 2nd Round: Sebastian Baez or Juncheng Shang
  • Quarterfinals: Potential match against Novak Djokovic (seeded 6th)
  • Semi-finals: Possible opponents include Daniil Medvedev or Jakub Mensik
  • Final: Could face Alex de Minaur or Felix Auger-Aliassime

Zverev has reached the semi-finals at this tournament three times (2017, 2019, 2023) but has never taken home the title. His opening match against Norrie is scheduled for Wednesday, September 30, on Centre Court.

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