"Andre Agassi, these are not good choices";"Scraping bottom of barrel": Fans react to Ben Shelton & Tommy Paul's 'terrible' Laver Cup replacements

Ben Shelton (L) Andre Agassi (inset) Tommy Paul (R) | Getty
Ben Shelton (L) Andre Agassi (inset) Tommy Paul (R) | Getty

Fans expressed disappointment after Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul were replaced by Reilly Opelka and Alex Michelsen in Andre Agassi’s Team World lineup for the 2025 Laver Cup. The 55-year-old tennis legend will make his debut as Team World captain this year.

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Shelton picked up an injury at the 2025 US Open that forced him to withdraw from his third-round match. Meanwhile, Paul’s season has been plagued by recurring injuries, and his five-set third-round loss to Alexander Bublik may have further aggravated his setback.

Due to these issues, both top-ranked Americans were first replaced by Reilly Opelka, Rajeev Ram, and Austin Krajicek for the Davis Cup. Later, Shelton and Paul were replaced by rising talent Michelsen and power server Opelka at the Laver Cup.

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Announcements for the Laver Cup changes were made on social media, and fans expressed their disappointment online.

"I’m guessing Alex deminaur said no? No Felix or shapo? Dear lord. Andre, I was hopeful for you but these are not great choices," one fan wrote.
"Scraping the bottom of the barrel. Last year was a very strong lineup, this year is a bit of a disaster," another fan wrote.
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"Dang. Really not interested in seeing either of those guys. Why replace them with mediocre americans when there are much better players in the world?" a third fan asked.

Here are some more fans questioning the Laver Cup's relevance after Andre Agassi-led Team World's changes.

"Omg Laver Cup… quickly nosediving into obscurity," one fan wrote.
"It looks terrible 😭 they just kill the tournament with this announcement," another fan wrote.
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"Team world had the opportunity to expand the world beyond USA and chose not to," yet another fan wrote.

Fans voiced frustration with many arguing that the Laver Cup thrives on star power, and the new picks lacked ranking strength and global appeal.


A look at Andre Agassi's first Team World line-up after Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul's withdrawal

Andre Agassi at the Championships - Wimbledon 2025 - Source: Getty
Andre Agassi at the Championships - Wimbledon 2025 - Source: Getty

Since the past seven editions, Team World at the Laver Cup has been led by John McEnroe, and Bjorn Borg has captained Team Europe. However, from 2025, Andre Agassi takes over from McEnroe, while Yannick Noah will lead Team Europe.

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Team World for the 2025 Laver Cup features only two non-Americans. They include top-ranked stars such as Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo, and Brazil's João Fonseca. Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul completed the line-up, but with their withdrawal, Reilly Opelka and Alex Michelsen have come in.

Team Europe packs a star-studded line-up, including Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Holger Rune, and Casper Ruud, along with Jakub Mensik and Flavio Cobolli. The 2025 edition of the event will take place in San Francisco. The record in the past seven events stands at Team Europe 5-2 Team World.

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Edited by Aliasgar Ayaz
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