Laver Cup 2026: Alcaraz and Zverev Lead Europe's Bid to Reclaim the Trophy

by Geoffrey Ejiga | by Geoffrey Ejiga

image Laver Cup 2026: Alcaraz and Zverev Lead Europe's Bid to Reclaim the Trophy
The Laver Cup returns to The O2 Arena in London this Friday, the same venue where Roger Federer played his last match in 2022. Team World has won three of the last four editions, while Team Europe hasn’t lifted the trophy since Berlin 2024, and this year's squad features no Sinner, no Djokovic and no Medvedev. Instead, newly crowned US Open champion Alexander Zverev and seven-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz anchor a young roster missing several of Europe's biggest names.
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Back Where Federer Said Goodbye

The last time the Laver Cup came to London, Federer walked off a tennis court for the final time. 

That night in September 2022, playing doubles alongside Rafael Nadal in front of 20,000 people at The O2, defined the event for a generation of fans who had never thought about team tennis before.

Four years later, both men are gone from the tour but the competition they championed has only grown.

Team World won 13-8 that night in 2022 and have taken three of the last four titles since, winning in Vancouver (2023) and San Francisco (2025). But Team Europe hit back in Berlin in 2024, coming from 4-8 down on Day 3 to win 13-11 in what was Bjorn Borg's final match as captain.

The overall series stands at 5-3 in Europe's favour, though Team World are the defending champions.

Team Europe: Youth Over Experience

Yannick Noah's squad has no Sinner (still recovering from the knee injury that kept him out of the US Open), no Djokovic and no Medvedev. What it does have is the US Open champion and the player with the most Grand Slam titles of anyone born after 1990:

  • Zverev won the US Open final on September 13 and arrives in London as the top-ranked European in the draw.
  • Alcaraz brings seven Grand Slam titles and a presence that lifts any crowd he plays in front of.

Behind them, Noah has selected Casper Ruud, Flavio Cobolli, Jakub Mensik and Rafael Jodar, who takes on Alexander Bublik today. 

With Sinner, Djokovic and Medvedev all absent, the squad leans heavily on the generation born after 2000. Alcaraz is 23, Cobolli 24 and Mensik 21. Noah will need his younger players to match the Laver Cup experience that Team World's veterans bring.

Team World: Two Late Replacements After US Open Fallout

Andre Agassi's team has been reshaped in the two weeks since the US Open ended.

Ben Shelton, the US Open runner-up, withdrew and was replaced by Brandon Nakashima on September 17. Tommy Paul also pulled out and was replaced by Francisco Cerundolo, who has a 3-1 singles record from his three previous Laver Cup appearances.

It’s Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur that lead the squad. Fritz has been in strong hard-court form all season, while de Minaur adds energy and competitiveness that have made him a Laver Cup regular. Alexander Bublik and Learner Tien, meanwhile, complete the six.

Laver Cup 2026 Format and Tournament Details

Format: How it works

Day 1 (Friday Sept 25)Four matches, each worth 1 point
Day 2 (Saturday Sept 26)Four matches, each worth 2 points
Day 3 (Sunday Sept 27)Up to four matches, each worth 3 points
FormatBest-of-three sets, 10-point tiebreak replaces third set
Winner First to 13 points wins

First to 13 points wins. What’s more, nine singles and three doubles matches are played across the three days. Captains choose the matchups. The escalating points system means Day 3 is where the trophy is won or lost.

Tournament Details

Tournament 2026Laver Cup (9th edition)
DatesFriday, September 25 to Sunday, September 27
VenueThe O2 Arena, London
SurfaceIndoor hard (black court)
Team Europe captainYannick Noah
Team World captainAndre Agassi
Defending championsTeam World (won 2025; Europe won 2024)