Carlos Alcaraz and his doubles partner Jakub Mensik secured a 3-1 lead for Team Europe over Team World after the opening day of the Laver Cup at London’s O2 Arena on Friday, September 25, 2026. Alcaraz and Mensik defeated Alexander Bublik and Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4 in the final match of the day to solidify Europe’s advantage in the three-day, Ryder Cup-style team tournament.
Team Europe Takes 3-1 Laver Cup Lead as Alcaraz and Mensik Win Doubles
Opening Day Singles and Match Tiebreaks
The event opened with Norway’s Casper Ruud battling past Francisco Cerundolo 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 10-8 to give Team Europe an early 1-0 advantage. Ruud credited his team’s bench for keeping him focused through the tight match tiebreak. Team World quickly leveled the score when 16-th ranked Brandon Nakashima defeated Jakub Mensik 6-1, 3-6, 10-7 in his Laver Cup debut. Nakashima entered Andre Agassi’s squad as a late replacement after U.S. Open runner-up Ben Shelton withdrew.
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Rafael Jodar then restored Europe’s lead during the evening singles session with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 victory over Alexander Bublik. Playing his first match in the competition in front of tennis greats Roger Federer and John McEnroe in the stands, Jodar called the experience a pleasure.
Alcaraz and Mensik Close Out Friday
In the closing doubles encounter, World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz teamed up with Jakub Mensik to fend off three early break points against Alexander Bublik and Taylor Fritz. Alcaraz, playing in just his second tournament following a four-month injury layoff after the US Open, found his rhythm to help capture the opening break before sealing the straight-sets win at the net.
“I’m just trying to have fun in every place that I go and on every court that I play on,” Alcaraz said after the match. “I don’t usually play doubles. I just try to enjoy and be better at things. I use doubles to try and improve my tennis, a couple of adjustments. Having a partner like Jakub, it’s really easy to have fun on the court.”
Tournament Format and Standings
The Laver Cup features six players from Europe competing against six players from the rest of the world across three days of competition. Matches on Friday are worth one point, while Saturday wins carry two points and Sunday victories are worth three points. The first team to reach 13 points captures the title.
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