Carlos Alcaraz Secures Laver Cup 2024 Victory for Team Europe with a Thrilling Win Over Team World in Berlin
Carlos Alcaraz led Team Europe to a remarkable comeback, defeating Taylor Fritz 6-2, 7-5, and securing the Laver Cup for the first time since 2021.
With a 13–11 victory over Taylor Fritz, the former world No. 1 put Team Europe on the winning track for the first time since 2021.
Alcaraz earned his second win of Day 3 after opening Sunday with a men’s doubles victory alongside Casper Ruud, defeating Fritz in just over 90 minutes in Berlin’s Uber Arena. Alexander Zverev, his teammate, defeated Frances Tiafoe 6-7 (6), 7-5, 10-5, and he was two games away from winning a third straight Laver Cup for Team World.
The Laver Cup, which debuted in 2017, is on its third day. Team World leads 8–4 after winning three of the four matches on Saturday, including Tiafoe’s 3-6, 6-4, 10-5 triumph over Daniil Medvedev. Ben Shelton and Tiafoe, an all-American duo, lost to Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud in the men’s doubles to start Sunday’s schedule, but Shelton got duo World back on track with another set tiebreak victory over Medvedev, 6-7 (6), 7-5, 10-7.
Shelton’s victory gave Tiafoe the advantage to win the trophy for Team World, but the US Open semifinalist would have to overcome Zverev, whom he last defeated in the 2017 Cincinnati Open. Fritz got the opportunity to exact revenge on his countryman against Alcaraz as Tiafoe failed to seal the deal with Zverev down a set and 4-2.
Fritz made it to his first major final at the US Open earlier this month, capping an incredible summer. Even though he was unable to become the first American man to win a major championship since Andy Roddick in 2003, the world No. 7 got off to a strong start at the Laver Cup, winning a men’s doubles match on Friday with Shelton and upsetting Zverev in the singles encounter on Saturday.
Alcaraz, who was unexpectedly eliminated from the tournament in Flushing Meadows in the second round, also triumphed on Day 2, taking down Ben Shelton in straight sets. After that, in the men’s doubles match earlier on Sunday, the Spaniard withstood a late push from Shelton and Tiafoe to keep Team Europe competitive all the way to the last match, where the score was almost matched at 10-11 (World).
Alcaraz easily won the first set and gained an early lead at the break in the second. They then consolidated their lead in a lengthy fourth game by saving three break points.
However, similar to Zverev and Tiafoe’s previous match, the player trailing a set and 4-2 unexpectedly found himself in a favorable position. Fritz responded in turn, storming through the following three games to force a decisive game.
Alcaraz leveled the set with a powerful hold, forcing Fritz to make a forehand mistake that allowed Alcaraz to break back and serve for the title. Fritz managed another forehand into the net to win the match and earn two Laver Cup points. Fritz stopped one with a well-executed passing move, but was unable to stop the second, and Alcaraz’s teammates from Team Europe joined him in celebrating their sixth Laver Cup victory overall.
