Laver Cup 2026 Recap: Team Europe Takes the Trophy in London
The black court is packed away, the confetti is swept up, and Team Europe is heading home with the cup. The 2026 Laver Cup wrapped up Sunday at The O2 in London, and Team Europe finished with an unassailable 13 to 5 lead after Alexander Zverev beat Learner Tien to seal it. Here's how the weekend played out and what's still coming on the tennis calendar.
Laver Cup 2026 Results at a Glance
Wins are worth one point on Friday, two on Saturday and three on Sunday, and the first team to 13 points wins. That format keeps things tense until the very end.
Day 1: Europe strikes first. Friday's four matches were worth one point each, and Team Europe took three of them. Casper Ruud opened the event by beating Francisco Cerundolo after dropping the first set in a tiebreak, winning the second 6/4, and taking the match tiebreak 10 to 8. Team World levelled it when rookie Brandon Nakashima beat Jakub Mensik, the only point Team World got all day. Then 20-year-old Rafael Jodar, playing his Laver Cup debut, put in the cleanest performance of the day with a 6/2 6/3 win over Alexander Bublik to make it 2 to 1. Carlos Alcaraz and Mensik closed the night with a doubles win over Bublik and Taylor Fritz for a 3 to 1 lead. It was Alcaraz's first appearance since his US Open quarterfinal loss to Ben Shelton, which came in his first tournament back after months out with a wrist injury, and Mensik bounced back nicely from his singles loss earlier in the day.
Day 2: Team World hits back. Saturday delivered drama. All three singles matches went to a champions tiebreak, and Team World briefly moved ahead 5 to 3 after Tien beat Flavio Cobolli and Alex de Minaur came back to beat Zverev. Then Alcaraz took over. He saved two match points against Fritz and won 13 to 11 in the deciding tiebreak, finishing it with a drop shot on his third match point and switching the momentum to Team Europe. That was a bit of revenge after losing to Fritz in last year's edition. Zverev and Ruud then won the late doubles over Bublik and Nakashima to send Europe into Sunday leading 7 to 5.
Day 3: Zverev finishes the job. Cobolli and Mensik opened Sunday with a doubles win over de Minaur and Fritz, and then Zverev saved a set point in a tight first set and beat Tien in two sets to clinch the trophy. Alcaraz was rested for the day, which meant he got to be team cheerleader.
Storylines Worth Talking About
- Zverev's big year keeps rolling. He's the reigning Roland Garros and US Open champion, and he's now the event's all-time leading scorer with 26 points. He also said he hadn't won a Laver Cup match in two years, so this one meant something.
- Alcaraz's comeback continues. After a long layoff with a wrist injury, he reached the US Open quarterfinals and then went straight into Laver Cup duty, winning both of his matches in London.
- Jodar arrives. A 20-year-old debutant winning the most dominant singles match of the opening day is a nice sign for Team Europe's future.
- Noah gets his first title as captain. Yannick Noah's first Laver Cup title as Team Europe captain came after falling short against Andre Agassi's Team World in San Francisco last year. Europe has now won six of nine editions.
- Royal attendance. Roger Federer was in the crowd, sitting alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.
What to Expect for the Rest of 2026
The Laver Cup doesn't award ranking points, but the calendar gets serious from here. The race for the year end finals is on, and here's what's coming:
- Japan Open, Tokyo (from September 30): Alcaraz is set to defend his title.
- Shanghai Masters (October 7 to 18): One of nine ATP Masters 1000 events and the second to last stop of the season.
- Six Kings Slam, Riyadh (October 21 to 24): An exhibition featuring Alcaraz, Sinner, Zverev, Djokovic, Fritz and de Minaur.
- Paris Masters (November 2 to 8): The last chance for players on the fringe to lock up an ATP Finals spot.
- Nitto ATP Finals, Turin (November 15 to 22): The season finale at Inalpi Arena.
- Davis Cup Finals, Bologna (November 24 to 29): An eight-team knockout that closes the season.
Looking further ahead, the 10th Laver Cup will be at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Los Angeles, from September 24 to 26, 2027. Team World will want its trophy back.
Gear Up for the Fall Season
Watching the world's best swap singles for doubles and trade high-fives on the bench is a good reminder that tennis is more fun with friends. Whether you're inspired to book a doubles night at your local courts or finally replace those dead strings, we've got the racquets, strings, shoes and bags to get you ready. Free shipping and competitive pricing are always on the menu at Do It Tennis.
FAQ
Who won the 2026 Laver Cup?
Team Europe won 13 to 5 over Team World at The O2 in London.
Where is the 2027 Laver Cup?
Los Angeles, at the Intuit Dome, September 24 to 26, 2027.
Does the Laver Cup count toward ATP rankings?
No. It's an official ATP Tour calendar event but doesn't award ranking points.
