Team Europe Rallies to Reclaim the Laver Cup Over Team World

Team Europe closed out the 2026 Laver Cup with a 13-5 win over Team World on Sunday at the O2 in London, reclaiming the title after falling 15-9 to Team World in San Francisco last year. The annual international team competition was actually much more competitive than the final score might suggest, and here’s how each day of the tournament unfolded.

Day 1: Team Europe Takes an Early Edge

Friday kicked off the Laver Cup with four scheduled matches that mostly went Europe’s way, with each win worth one point towards the overall tally. Casper Ruud opened for Team Europe with a comeback win over Francisco Cerundolo, battling back to win 6-7(4), 6-4, 10-8 after dropping the first set. Next, Brandon Nakashima answered for Team World, beating Jakub Mensik in another three-set battle (6-1, 3-6, 10-7) to even the score at 1-1.

Rafael Jodar then handed Team Europe the lead by beating Alexander Bublik in straight sets (6-2, 6-3), before Carlos Alcaraz and Mensik teamed up to beat Bublik and Taylor Fritz in doubles (6-3, 6-1). This earned Team Europe a 3-1 lead at the end of Friday’s matches.

Day 2: Team World Claws Back and Europe Answers

Saturday’s matches in London saw the lead change hands twice over the course of the day, and points were increased to two per victory. Learner Tien beat Flavio Cobolli in a tight match that ended 6-3, 2-6, 10-7 to open the day, before Alex de Minaur followed it up with an even tighter win over Alexander Zverev 2-6, 7-6, 11-9. This snapped Zverev’s personal win streak and evened the score for Team World, then allowed them to momentarily take the lead 5-3.

However, Team Europe answered immediately, with Alcaraz defeating Fritz in a rematch of their 2025 meeting (6-3, 4-6, 13-11), and Ruud paired with Zverev to beat Bublik and Nakashima in doubles 6-4, 7-6(7). At the end of Saturday, Team World had put up a strong fight, but Team Europe emerged with a slim 7-6 lead.

Day 3: Zverev Clinches It for Team Europe

Team Europe needed just two wins to clinch the title on Sunday, with each match worth three points apiece. Cobolli and Mensik opened the day with a straight-sets doubles win over de Minaur and Fritz, pushing Europe to 10 points and just one win away from the trophy.

Zverev then beat Tien 7-6(3), 6-3 in the tournament’s final match to reach 13 points and clinch the Laver Cup for Team Europe. Any remaining matches scheduled were left unplayed since the outcome was already decided.

Closer Than the Final Score Suggests

For a scoreline that ended up 13-5, the tournament was surprisingly close for most of its three days. Alex de Minaur put it best afterward, reflecting on how thin the margins actually were by saying, “A couple points here and there could have changed the whole tie,” he said.

Despite the lopsided final score, Team World actually led after six matches on Saturday, and needed to win just two more of the remaining six to force a decider. However, Team Europe won four straight matches from that point on and clinched the victory before Team World had a chance to respond.

Team Europe entered the weekend already holding an all-time 5-3 lead over Team World across the event’s first eight editions, and this year’s win pushed that overall record to 6-3. As the Laver Cup returns to the U.S. in 2027, Team World will be looking for redemption.

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