The players competing in the Laver Cup definitely care. Of course they do — they are professional athletes and competitive beasts; put them all together in a game of minigolf and they’d take it extremely seriously. But the event’s lack of accumulated pressure from the rest of the tennis calendar feels germane in the context of Alcaraz’s comments.

Carlos Alcaraz was the hero for Team Europe as he beat Taylor Fritz to clinch the Laver Cup and deny John McEnroe his wish of a third successive win over his rivals.

This year, Nole completed the puzzle during the summer by winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. The Serbian legend failed to win its 25th career Major title, reaching the final only at the Wimbledon Championships and losing to Carlos Alcaraz after a match dominated by the Spaniards.