John McEnroe says the Laver Cup should be a “must-play” for top players, but its timing after the US Open is difficult for them. On the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, he said Ben Shelton was exhausted and pulled out of the event.
At the 2026 Laver Cup, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner—who has yet to attend the event—and four other top-10 players, Ben Shelton, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev and Frances Tiafoe, were absent. Captains Andre Agassi and Yannick Noah selected lower-ranked players; Alexander Bublik (No. 21) and Francisco Cerundolo (No. 22) were the lowest-ranked players in the lineups.
McEnroe said the competition brings leading players from around the world together and argued its format can keep matches exciting through the final day. He also praised Roger Federer, who helped create the Laver Cup in 2017, for remaining involved with it.
