“Not bad!” Carlos Alcaraz rates Roger Federer’s golf game after Laver Cup win

Over eight years of Laver Cup competition, Team Europe has proven quite formidable on the tennis court, but most are equally dangerous on the golf course.

🖥️📱Click here to stream Laver Cup action start to finish on the Tennis Channel App!

In an on-court interview with former ATP pro Sam Querrey, world No. 1/amateur golfer Carlos Alcaraz handicapped the field after partnering Jakub Mensik to edge through two close sets of men’s doubles, 7-6 (7), 6-4, defeating Taylor Fritz and Alex Michelsen to end Day 1 with a 3-1 lead over Team World.

He went on to heap praise on the golf game of one Roger Federer:

Q. You guys played some golf the other day. Of Team Europe, who’s the best golfer and who’s the worst?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: I think everybody knows Casper [Ruud] is the best one. I’m trying to catch up to him. It’s a big deal to get to his level. So, the best one is Casper. We have some, I think, a few members that doesn’t play golf at all, so I would say, for example, I think Cobolli doesn’t play golf. My level’s not that good, as well. We’re just having fun.

Q. I saw Roger [Federer] play. Where does Roger fit in among the level of golfers in the group?

CARLOS ALCARAZ: Roger is pretty good, actually!

Q. Let’s be honest!

CARLOS ALCARAZ: No, no! I’m being honest. It’s crazy that everything he does, he does with a great style. He swings really beautifully. The level he has is quite good. It’s quite good. I would say it’s better than mine. His handicap is better than mine.

Alcaraz has taken advice from Federer to heart in the past, citing the 20-time Grand Slam champion’s five-year strategy as instrumental to helping keep perspective as he ends a second straight season with multiple major victories.

"He told me you have to be focused on the next five years, from here to when I'm 27," Alcaraz said at the US Open. "And then, when I get 27, then think about five years more.

"I think that's the best person that ... could tell me that, and I will try to follow his words."

According to Captain Yannick Noah, Alcaraz will likely be back on court on Sunday to close out the weekend as Team Europe aims to capture a sixth Laver Cup trophy out of eight.