Team Europe Comeback Falls One Match Short

Team Europe will rue Saturday, Sept. 19, when reminiscing about Laver Cup 2025 San Francisco. Yannick Noah’s team held a 3-1 edge entering the second day of the event but dropped all four matches worth two points on Saturday, allowing Team World to amass a lead Team Europe couldn’t quite overcome on Sunday.

Despite splitting Sunday’s extended four matches 2-2 (Carlos Alcaraz won in singles and in doubles alongside Casper Ruud after losing to Taylor Fritz on Friday), the lead Team World secured from the Saturday four-match sweep was a deal breaker in the end.

“We lost against a better team,” Noah said. “They played great. We represented the Laver Cup the best we could, and it was a great level of tennis.”

On Sunday, the Alcaraz-Ruud team gave a bit of hope to Team Europe to start the day, but Alex de Minaur’s victory against Jakub Mensik put Team World one win away from hoisting the Laver Cup and forced Team Europe to win two straight matches just to send the event into a one-set Decider doubles. Alcaraz won the day’s third match, setting up an Alexander Zverev vs. Taylor Fritz matchup that could have prolonged the Laver Cup. It didn’t.

Despite a 2-2 Sunday, it was Saturday that marked ruin for Team Europe. “Last night was tough, it was a tough night, it was a tough day in general with the losses,” Alcaraz reflected.

Despite the loss, Noah called it a “beautiful week, a wonderful week” getting to compete and working professionally with vice captain Tim Henman. “We love tennis,” Noah said. “To be able to share that with him was really fun.”

Noah met most of the players for the first time this week. He said being close to them and seeing the way they prepare themselves allowed him to witness their level of professionalism. “To be close to these guys and see them is wonderful,” he said. “It is not the way it used to be in my day.”

“I look forward to the next year,” Noah said, “and have one year to become a better captain.”

Noah and Henman will take the search for the pair’s first Laver Cup win to European soil at London’s O2 Arena in 2026.