A day out from the Laver Cup opener, Carlos Alcaraz stepped aside from the “best in the world” conversation and pointed at his teammate.
“As he said, and I agree, he is probably the best player in the world right now,” the Spaniard told reporters at his pre-tournament press event in London on Wednesday.
“So having him by my side and on our team, it’s gonna be a great weapon that we’re gonna use this weekend.”
Zverev himself had used the same phrase after beating Ben Shelton in the US Open final on 13 September.
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Zverev’s breakthrough year
The German goes into London with two Grand Slam trophies in a season that has rewritten his career. He won his first major at Roland Garros in June, beating Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in a five-set final, then added the US Open with a 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 win over Shelton.
Zverev is the world No. 2 behind Jannik Sinner in the PIF ATP Rankings. The Italian is not in London: Sinner has never played the Laver Cup since it launched in 2017, and Team Europe has again gone without him.
Alcaraz’s late-night return in New York
Alcaraz missed more than four months of the season with a wrist injury he suffered at the ATP 500 in Barcelona in April. He returned at the US Open, where he was pushed to a five-set quarter-final with Shelton.
“I was out for five months without playing an official match. I was struggling a lot during that time, with pain, unsure if I was going to return in time for the US Open,” Alcaraz said in his Laver Cup player profile.
“To be able to play four matches at a pretty good level, and then the quarter-final against Ben, 7-6 in the fifth, it was a gift for me. I enjoyed it so much. I suffered, but I enjoyed it at the same time.”
The Spaniard is 3-1 in Laver Cup singles across his previous appearances. Team Europe lost the 2025 final.
“I missed lifting the trophy last year, so I’m gonna do whatever it takes to do it this year,” Alcaraz added.
Team World’s late change
Yannick Noah captains Team Europe: Alcaraz, Zverev, Casper Ruud, Cobolli, Jakub Mensik and Spanish debutant Rafael Jodar. Andre Agassi’s Team World lineup is Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, Alexander Bublik, Learner Tien, Francisco Cerundolo and Brandon Nakashima, who came in on 17 September after Shelton withdrew.
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Friday’s wins count one point at The O2, Saturday’s two and Sunday’s three. First team to 13 takes the trophy.
