Alcaraz and Mensik Lead Team Europe to Doubles Win at Laver Cup

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Czech Jakub Mensik defeated the United States duo of Taylor Fritz and Alex Michelsen 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 in the day’s final doubles match at the Laver Cup in San Francisco.

This marked Mensik’s second win of the day, following his 6-1, 6-7 (3/7), 10-8 singles victory over Michelsen. Despite being broken while serving for the match in the second set, Mensik recovered to claim the 10-point match tiebreaker.

Mensik, 20, said, “It’s always tough for your nerves but I’m happy that I stayed focused to the end.”

Casper Ruud Gets Europe Off to a Strong Start

Norway’s Casper Ruud opened the day with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) win over American Reilly Opelka. Ruud, who lost the opening match at last year’s Laver Cup, was pleased with the strong start for Team Europe.

“I was in the same position last year and lost the opening match, so it’s good to get some revenge and begin strong for Europe,” Ruud said.

Joao Fonseca Shines for Team World

Team World responded with a 6-4, 6-3 singles win for newcomer Joao Fonseca of Brazil, who defeated Europe’s Flavio Cobolli. The 19-year-old rallied from 2-4 down in the first set and secured two breaks in the second, buoyed by a large crowd of Brazilian fans.

Fonseca, who won his first ATP title earlier this year in Buenos Aires, said, “I tried to stay positive during the match. I was a little more nervous than usual, which is normal.”

New Captains Lead Europe and Team World

The 2025 Laver Cup features new leadership on both sides. France’s Yannick Noah has replaced Bjorn Borg as Team Europe captain, while American Andre Agassi succeeds John McEnroe as Team World captain.

Scoring and Schedule Details

Friday’s matches were worth one point each. Saturday will feature three singles and one doubles match, each worth two points, while Sunday’s matches carry three points each. The first team to reach 13 points will claim the Laver Cup trophy.

Europe has won five of the first seven editions, though Team World won the last North American edition in Vancouver in 2023. Fans can expect intense competition as the tournament progresses.