The former world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz rises as the man who brought the fifth victory of Team Europe at the Laver Cup. The 21-year-old four-time major winner beat Taylor Fritz to score a 13-11 win and help his team win the Laver Cup for the first time since 2021. Alcaraz thwarted Fritz 6-2, 7-5 in the final rubber to secure a dramatic triumph for his team in Berlin’s Uber Arena.
Alcaraz is On Fire to Bring his team a Champion Again
World No. 3 Alcaraz completed the comeback of Team Europe when Team World so nearly claimed a third straight victory. Team World started the final day matches on Sunday with an 8-4 down. With three points on offer for each win in the final day’s matches, any team to hit 13 total points will become champions. Alcaraz’s six points – plus two points on Day 2 – is more than enough to bring Team Europe as a champion again.
The final day started with a 6-2, 7-6 (6) victory of Alcaraz, paired with Casper Ruud, over the American pair Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe. Shelton then widened the gap to 11-7 after defeating Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (6), 7-5, 10-7. But Alexander Zverev’s 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 10-5 win over Tiafoe reduced Team World’s lead to a single point and forced a deciding match.
Alcaraz had nothing but to prove that he can shine brightly on his debut at the Laver Cup. His straight-set wins over Shelton on Day 2 on Saturday and Fritz in the finale claimed him to be his best comeback after a shocking loss at the US Open a few weeks ago. Alcaraz looked to have discovered his form again in the Laver Cup.
There is a lot of Nerves for Alcaraz
The match between Tiafoe and Zverev had brought a lot of nerves for Alcaraz. “We almost lost, but Sascha (Alex Zverev) came with really good tennis and gave me the chance to win the Laver Cup, so I think we are really, really happy with everything.” he said. Zverev had a hard match against Tiafoe where he lost the first set.
Alcaraz admitted how he handled his nerves because he knew that he could possibly play the decisive match. He watched the game inside the locker room, to make sure he had a good warm up. “I didn’t know if I was going to play or not until the last moment but I’m really happy that Sascha won at the end and gave me a chance to play once again.” he said.
A Goodbye for Björn Bjork and John McEnroe
Team Europe’s victory rounded off a successful campaign for the captain Björn Borg, who, along with Team World captain John McEnroe, will step down from Laver Cup duties. Both of them have led their teams since the inaugural competition in 2017.
Borg admitted he thought his team was not going to clinch the fifth title this time. But he was happy to spend time with his team and acknowledged how Alcaraz and his friends were playing great tennis. “We have a good team spirit and they give everything possible. I’m very proud of my team,” he said.
Borg will be replaced by former French Open champion Yannick Noah. Eight-time major winner Andre Agassi will become the Team World captain ahead of next year’s competition in San Francisco.
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