They are some of the top up-and-comers in men's tennis, but younger players like Denis Shapovalov, Dominic Thiem, Frances Tiafoe, and Alexander Zverev couldn't help being starstruck as they opened play at the Laver Cup.
Though they were the ones on court, some of the game's biggest legends, including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, and John McEnroe were watching from the sidelines.
"It was a special match today because I was playing in front of guys like Rod Laver and Roger, Rafa and all of them sitting there and watching me," said Shapovalov. "It was unbelievable to be on the court.
While Federer and Nadal are competing in the event, Borg and McEnroe are coaches of the two teams. Shapovalov had McEnroe on court with him in his encounter aganst Zverev, saying, "On the court with Johnny Mac today, he gave me a lot of little feedbacks I'm gonna try and implement."
Thiem had Borg as his coach, and also got some input from Federer and Nadal while playing Isner. Though he had a few days with them leading up to the event, the 23-year-old Austrian still had to get used to having them on the court with him.
"It got even better when I played, because to have an absolute legend on the bench with me, and get advice from Roger and Rafa - you cannot be higher, I think, in tennis," he said.
Tiafoe, though on the opposing team, is also enjoying having Federer and Nadal around, saying, "You learn [a lot of] good things from them. So being here and seeing them casually is unbelievable."
There has been an emphasis on players spending time with others on the team.
"We're all very friendly, and doing a lot of stuff together actually," Zverev said on court. ''We're appreciating it a lot, and obviously Roger and Rafa telling all the stories about [their meetings], it's quite amazing.''