Zverev regains the Laver Cup throne for Europe

Alexander Zverev not only wins Grand Slams anymore, he also settles the Laver Cup. Europe had the first opportunity to reclaim the throne lost last year if the German secured victory against Learner Tien. And so it happened. The newly crowned US Open champion struggled against the American's peculiar style but met expectations and clinched victory by 7-6(3), 6-3.

This edition of 2026 ends with a score of 13-5, after the points on Sunday counted as three and those on Saturday as two. Although it seemed like a stroll for the European team, the situation on Saturday was very different. Europe began the day 3-1 and in the blink of an eye found itself 3-5 after the doubles losses by Jakub Mensik and Flavio Cobolli and Zverev's loss to Alex De Miñaur. But Carlos Alcaraz leveled the score after defeating Fritz, and the doubles match of Zverev and Ruud closed Saturday with a European advantage of 7-5.

Zverev sealed the fate of the Laver Cup 2026

This morning's doubles match seemed more decisive than it appeared, but this time Mensik and Cobolli redeemed themselves from their previous day's loss by defeating Fritz and De Miñaur, and it was Zverev who had the chance to close the tie on the first attempt.

Thus, the Hamburg native demonstrated that he could rise to the occasion. He is no longer burdened by pressure, as seen in Roland Garros and the US Open, and he also knows how to win without showing his best form. Tien made things very complicated for him in the first set, and the German seemed absent and frustrated.

Particularly with the long exchanges and changes of speed from Tien, something very characteristic of his tennis. "I don't like playing like this", Zverev told captain Yannick Noah during one of their exchanges. Moreover, he squandered four break points to take charge earlier in the first set.

It seemed that it was Europe that desperately needed the victory because Zverev's demeanor conveyed nervousness, while the Rest of the World team remained calm. Things could have become quite complicated if Tien had seized the set point he had with 6-5 on return, but he didn’t capitalize on it, and in the tiebreak, Zverev put an end to the doubts and claimed the first set 7-6(3).

Laver Cup glory 🔵🏆

The moment @AlexZverev defeats Tien 7-6(3), 6-3 to secure Team Europe’s sixth Laver Cup.
#LaverCup #TennisUnviraled pic.twitter.com/2SYHAI9KkB

— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 27, 2026

From that point on, things got better, partly due to the American's knee discomfort and because Zverev loosened up and began to enjoy himself. Tien's resistance lasted through the initial games, but in the sixth game, he achieved his long-awaited first break and set the path for the Laver Cup title to remain in London (7-6(3), 6-3). The world number two lost his position, and Europe secured its sixth Laver Cup, extending the gap with the Rest of the World team, which has three.

With Europe already crowned champion, neither Carlos Alcaraz, who would have faced Alex de Miñaur, nor Rafael Jódar, who would have played the final match against Taylor Fritz, will take to the court. Nevertheless, both Spaniards have played a key role in the European triumph. The Madrilenian won in his debut against Alexander Bublik, while the Murcian triumphed alongside Jakub Mensik in doubles and saved two match points against Fritz yesterday for a victory that was a turning point.

Thus concludes another edition of the Laver Cup, a competition created by Roger Federer, which has been a resounding success and increasingly confirms its presence in the tennis calendar, despite being an exhibition tournament. Next stop, California 2017.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Zverev recupera para Europa el trono de la Laver Cup