Andre Agassi is set to lead Team World at the Laver Cup this week, becoming the side’s second captain in the history of the event.
The American has replaced his countryman, John McEnroe, this year, and will be accompanied by vice captain Pat Rafter, who together will seek to reclaim the title from Team Europe.
Agassi‘s appearance at the annual event marks yet more involvement from him in tennis this season, having spent the majority of his post-playing days away from the sport.
In 2025, the 55-year-old has enjoyed spells in commentary, punditry, and even a brief three-day coaching trial with Holger Rune.
Since returning to the tennis world, the eight-time Grand Slam champion said he has noticed plenty of changes in the game.
Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images for Laver CupAndre Agassi reflects on how tennis has changed in recent years
When asked in a press conference ahead of the Laver Cup about tennis’s need for evolution and innovation, Agassi responded: “It’s kind of a big picture question, I’ll just give you it from my lens.
“I went through a good 15 years of raising my kids and finishing up my foundation in a way that they can live in perpetuity, and building a few businesses.
“Now my kids are kind of empty nesters, and I have the bandwidth to come back to tennis on a certain level and really appreciate the difference between what it was and what it is now.
“I mean, I played through a few generations myself, and I was always shocked at the changes that happened, both from players to environments and the growth of it.
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images for Laver Cup
“I go back to places and I don’t even recognise them. I mean, I can’t get from one place to another because they’ve changed that much.
“So people can talk about eyeballs, they can talk about the growth of the game or the lack of growth.
“Every time I see it, it’s only expanding, it’s only growing. I mean, it doesn’t do that unless it’s generating, and it doesn’t generate unless there are more people who want a part of it.
“So the premise of your question is sort of based on the assumption that it’s maybe not growing like it should, and from my perspective, I haven’t experienced that. I mean, everywhere I go, I just go, ‘holy crap.’
“But you’re right, these events are spectacular, because we’re an individual sport, and there’s always room for innovation.”
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images for Laver CupAndre Agassi says he will not ‘get in the way’ of his Laver Cup team
Speaking on his role as captain for Team World at the Laver Cup, Agassi said: “I think the first job is not to get in their way.
“It would be hard to convince me that I play enough of a role that I’m going to do any winning out there, you know, but I think I could screw it up. That’s how I look at it.
“I could help them. I could distract them, or I could make it about what it’s not. It’s not about that. You earn respect. You don’t demand it. So much respect about these guys.
“Also, their confidence… I mean, there’s not a player on this team that doesn’t think they can do the job if the job fell on their shoulders. I respect the hell out of that.”
Taylor Fritz, Joao Fonseca, and Alex de Minaur are among the stars playing for Team World at the Laver Cup.