Carlos Alcaraz Puts Team Europe on the Verge of First Laver Cup Tie

Carlos Alcaraz bounced back in emphatic fashion Sunday at the 2025 Laver Cup, shaking off a surprise singles loss to Taylor Fritz with a flawless double-duty performance that kept Team Europe alive and set the stage for a potential historic tie.

After dropping four straight matches and entering Day 3 trailing 9–3, Europe clawed back to within striking distance thanks in large part to Alcaraz. The world No. 1 opened the day by partnering with Casper Ruud to defeat Alex Michelsen and Reilly Opelka in doubles, 7–6(4), 6–1, snapping Team World’s momentum. He then returned to the court later in the day and blitzed Francisco Cerundolo, 6–2, 6–1, in a ruthless display of form and focus.

The pair of victories pulled Europe to within three points, and a win by Alexander Zverev over Taylor Fritz would tie the contest at 12–12, triggering the Laver Cup’s unique format twist: a one-set doubles showdown to decide the title.

“If the team needs me, I will be there for sure,” Alcaraz said with a grin when asked if he’d be ready for a deciding doubles rubber. “Right now, we have to support Sascha and see if he ties the score. Then we’ll see if the weird thing happens with the 12-all.”

Saturday had been a low point for Alcaraz, who fell in straight sets to Fritz, fueling Team World’s early dominance. But he responded with the kind of resilience that has become his trademark.

“I had to be different than last night, I think that’s obvious,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview with Jim Courier. “The doubles helped me a lot—starting the day with a win, playing the level we played—it pushed me to play great tennis. Today’s a big day for us, because we had to come back. The best tennis has to show up when it matters.”

While Europe surged, Team World inched closer to victory earlier in the day thanks to a singles win from Alex de Minaur over Jakub Mensik, putting them just one point away from clinching the Cup.

The pressure now shifts to Fritz vs. Zverev. Fritz, who has won five straight against the German and leads their head-to-head 8–5, can seal the title for Team World with a win.

“Yesterday, Team World played exceptional—everyone,” Alcaraz acknowledged. “But today is a new day. When the pressure is there, the body responds in a different way.”

Despite Fritz’s red-hot form, Alcaraz expressed full faith in Zverev: “I have a strong belief in Sascha. He’s been putting in the work, and we’re all going to be behind him. It’s going to be a great match, and we’re going to be watching closely.”