Fritz Defeats Zverev to Seal Team World’s Laver Cup Victory

Team World Clinches Title in San Francisco

Taylor Fritz powered past Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) on Sunday to secure Team World’s 15-9 win over Team Europe in the Laver Cup. The victory, celebrated at San Francisco’s Chase Center, gave new captain Andre Agassi a triumphant debut and restored the title that Europe reclaimed in Berlin last year.

Fritz sealed the match with a backhand volley winner on his first match point, triggering loud celebrations from his teammates and Agassi. “The energy from the team just makes everything bigger,” Fritz said. “Winning feels so much better, losing feels so much worse, because you’re doing it for all these guys. It fires me up.”

Fritz Holds His Nerve

The fifth-ranked American, who had beaten Carlos Alcaraz a day earlier, dominated the opening set against Zverev. The German raised his level in the second, breaking Fritz late to level at 4-4. But Fritz responded strongly, holding serve and then edging out the tiebreaker despite a brief Zverev comeback.

Alcaraz’s Efforts Fall Short

Earlier in the day, Alcaraz had given Europe hope with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Francisco Cerundolo, followed by a doubles victory alongside Casper Ruud against Reilly Opelka and Alex Michelsen. Those results cut Team World’s lead to 9-6.

However, Australia’s Alex De Minaur quickly restored momentum. A late replacement for Frances Tiafoe, De Minaur defeated Jakub Mensik 6-3, 6-4 to extend the lead to 12-6. That win left Team World just one match away from the 13 points needed to capture the Cup.

De Minaur had already been a key figure on Saturday, posting victories in both singles and doubles. His consistency paved the way for Fritz to deliver the final blow against Zverev.

Europe Falls Short

Despite strong performances from Alcaraz, Europe could not repeat last year’s success. The team, led by captain Yannick Noah, fought hard but ultimately came up short in the decisive singles clash.

Team World has now won three of the eight editions of the Laver Cup, a competition co-founded by Swiss legend Roger Federer. Europe still leads historically with five victories. The next edition of the tournament will take place in London.
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