Alexander Zverev played a decisive role in securing Team Europe’s victory over Team World at the Laver Cup, held at London’s O2 Arena from Friday to Sunday. The two-time Grand Slam champion defeated Learner Tien 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 in the final singles match on Sunday, helping Team Europe clinch the trophy with a 13-5 overall score.
The exhibition event, which began in 2017 and is modeled in a Ryder Cup-style format, does not award ranking points but attracts top-ranked players from around the world. It was the second Laver Cup title for Team Europe in the last five editions, after previous wins and losses against Team World.
Zverev, currently ranked world number two, had a mixed tournament. He struggled initially, losing a doubles match on Friday and narrowly losing a singles match to Alex De Minaur on Saturday, despite holding multiple match points. However, Team Europe’s world number three Carlos Alcaraz helped regain momentum with victories on Saturday. Later that day, Zverev and Casper Ruud teamed up to win a doubles match, bringing Team Europe closer to securing the cup.
On Sunday, Flavio Cobolli and Jakub Mensik contributed with a doubles victory over Team World’s Taylor Fritz and Alex De Minaur, further edging Team Europe toward the title. In the final singles match, Zverev overcame a set point in the first set against 20-year-old Tien and dominated the second set to seal the win for Team Europe, captained by Yannick Noah.
Zverev acknowledged the challenge posed by Team World, who were the defending champions. “Massive credit to the entire Team World. They pushed us all the way again,” he said. Reflecting on his personal performance, he added, “I haven’t won a match here in two years, so I’m happy that I did it today.” He also praised the unity within his team, stating, “This year, we had a great team chemistry and I’m very happy that we won.”
The event drew attention with tennis legend and tournament co-founder Roger Federer attending the final day’s matches, watching as Team Europe reclaimed the title.