Yannick Noah is set to guide Team Europe at this week's Laver Cup in San Francisco. The French legend trained with players alongside Tim Henman and could not help but reflect on how much the game has changed since his days on the court.
Noah, the winner of the 1983 Roland Garros, admitted that the sport has reached heights far beyond what his generation could produce. The Frenchman recalled the days of wooden rackets and the physical strain of serving at high speeds with them.
It provided a compete contrast in comparison to the explosive power and athleticism of today's players. Noah brought world no. 1 and his leading star Carlos Alcaraz into story.
The Frenchman confessed he would barely manage to win a point against the young Spaniard. As Team Europe's captain, Yannick recognizes the immense talent at his disposal, especially with Carlos leading the way.
His candid and honest reflections underline the incredible evolution of the sport, from his Roland Garros triumph four decades ago to the relentless pace and power of modern gladiators.
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The Laver Cup makes a perfect blend of tennis legacy and current champions, with Rod Laver, Roger Federer captains and co-captains bridging that gap and creating a perfect mixture that honors our sport.
"For starters, if you are a genius of your generation, that's enough. We like to debate, but when I see footage of my Roland Garros final or other matches, I tell myself that today's tennis is on another level.
There were wooden rackets; you dislocated your shoulder when you wanted to serve at 195 km/h. Now, even girls serve at that speed on second serves. It's difficult to compare. Mentally, we were strong.
Physically, the preparation was different, but when I stopped playing and I was jogging, even seven or eight years later, I was ahead. But if you put the highlights of me when I was playing and compare them with Carlos, I would probably barely win points against him," Yannick Noah.
