Laver Cup: Success in San Francisco | Amelia Regino

As the last Grand Slam tournament of the year came to an end, the top male tennis players in the world reunited to compete in the Laver Cup.

The Laver Cup is named after renowned Australian tennis player Rod Laver, the only person to date to win two calendar Grand Slams (that’s all four of the biggest tournaments of the year!) The tournament was started by Roger Federer, a former number one in the world, as a way to create a team-based tournament in a sport that is frequently regarded as individual. The Laver Cup is based on the golf tournament, the Ryder Cup, where top golfers from the United States face off against players from Europe. Unlike the Ryder Cup, the Laver Cup pits players from Europe against the rest of the world.

This year, the tournament was held at the Chase Center in San Francisco and was considered a hit, featuring celebrities from Stephen Curry, multiple championship winner of the Golden State Warriors basketball team, to Nick Kroll, famed actor and comedian. The Laver Cup has been held all around the world, including Prague, Chicago, Geneva, Boston, London, Vancouver, and Berlin. 

As of 2025, Team Europe has won five times and Team World has won three times, including their victory this year. Teams of six players compete in three singles and one doubles matches a day, accumulating points throughout the three-day tournament. There’s a twist, though: the number of points a team can gain increases per day.

Team World was composed of U.S. players Taylor Fritz, ranked fourth in the world, Alex Michelson, and Reilly Opelka. They were joined by Australian player Alex De Minaur, Brazilian Joao Fonseca, and Francisco Cerundolo from Argentina. Team Europe included the newly crowned world number one, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, third in the world, Holger Rune from Denmark, Casper Ruud from Norway, Czech player Jakub Mensik, and Flavio Cobolli from Italy. Coming off a significant victory against former number one, Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz was predicted to help lead Team Europe to victory.

On the first day, Team Europe had a significant lead of three matches to one match. European players Mensik and Ruud won their singles matches, whereas Team World player and rookie Fonseca won his singles match. Alcaraz and Ruud competed later to snatch another close win for Team Europe. 

On day two, Team World came back with a vengeance, leading them to sweep all four matches. The score was now nine to three. Not only did Fritz shock Alcaraz in a swift two-set match, but De Minaur secured a victory over Zverev, creating two pivotal upsets for Team Europe. In a dramatic thriller between Cerundolo and Rune, Cerundolo captured his win as well, allowing De Minaur and Michelsen to seal the day with a doubles victory. 

On the third day, both teams were feeling the pressure. Team Europe had to win all four matches or at least three matches for a tie. Team World, with a record of only two previous wins, was anxious to win this year’s tournament. To start the day off, Alcaraz and Ruud pulled out another doubles match victory against Team World. De Minaur responded back, and beat Mensik in his singles match. In a show of his remarkable skill once again, Alcaraz saved Team Europe from defeat in his swift singles match against Cerundolo. It all came down to the last match. It would be either Zverev to tie the score or Fritz to win it all. In the end, Fritz’s confidence and skill on the fast courts of San Francisco allowed him to win against Zverev, securing a victory for Team World. 

With a thrilling victory for Team World and a winning debut for newly appointed captain Andre Agassi, the Laver Cup 2025 was not only enjoyed by fans across the world but also by the tennis players, as their love and appreciation for the city of San Francisco grew.