SEPT 25 - 27, 2026 | LONDON
Carlos Alcaraz has closed out the 2025 season ranked world No.1 for the second time in his career, underscoring a year that not only reaffirmed his dominance on the ATP Tour but placed him firmly among the fastest-rising greats the sport has ever seen.
At just 22, Alcaraz’s trajectory is already drawing comparisons with tennis’s most decorated champions — several of whom have competed in a Laver Cup edition before.
This season alone, Alcaraz captured eight singles titles, including two majors and three ATP Masters 1000 trophies, bringing his career haul to 24. His triumphs at Roland Garros and the US Open added to the four majors he collected between 2022 and 2024, a run that began in New York when he was only 19. It places him in rare company: only Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal reached six majors before turning 23.
Alcaraz’s start has been breathtaking not only for its volume but for its pace. By comparison, Federer had one major by age 21 and three at 22. Nadal earned his sixth major at 22, though he was slightly older than Alcaraz at the time. Novak Djokovic lifted his first major at 20, then went three years before winning his second. Only Borg accumulated majors faster, earning the first six of his 11 majors from 18-22.
Yet amid these sweeping milestones, one target remains unfinished: the Australian Open. Alcaraz has never gone beyond the quarterfinals in Melbourne, and the event stands between him and Rafael Nadal’s record as the youngest man to complete the career (non-calendar year) Grand Slam.
Nadal sealed the achievement at 24. Federer did so at 27, Djokovic at 29, and Andre Agassi — now Team World Captain — at 29. Rod Laver was 31 when he sealed the calendar-year Grand Slam during the Open Era, though he achieved the feat in 1962 as an amateur aged 24. American Don Budge is the only other man to have achieved a calendar-year Grand Slam, doing so in 1938 aged 23.
A New No.1 Arises
Alcaraz will return for his third campaign with Team Europe when the Laver Cup heads back to The O2 in London in 2026. It is an arena layered with meaning: London was where Team World finally broke through in 2022 under Captain John McEnroe, denying Europe a fifth straight title. Europe is determined to reclaim that momentum, and Alcaraz — a Laver Cup champion from Berlin 2024 — will be central to that mission.
In finishing year-end No.1 again, Alcaraz joins an illustrious list of Laver Cup players and captains who have reached the summit of the ATP rankings.
Federer ended the year No.1 five times (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009) and spent 310 weeks atop the rankings, including an as-yet unmatched run of 237 consecutive weeks.
Nadal, a five-time year-end No.1 himself (2008, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019), accumulated 209 total weeks at the top and remains the most successful clay-court player in history. He represented Europe at the inaugural Laver Cup in Prague and again in Geneva and London.
Djokovic stands alone with eight year-end No.1 finishes and an unprecedented 428 weeks in the top spot. He also contributed to Europe’s powerhouse era at the Laver Cup, competing under Captain Bjorn Borg in Chicago and London.
Andy Murray — who made his lone Laver Cup appearance in London 2022 — ended the 2016 season as world No.1, holding the position for 41 weeks and becoming the first British man to close out a year atop the ATP rankings. That all four members of the Big Four last competed for Team Europe at The O2 adds another layer of symmetry as Alcaraz prepares for the event’s return to London.
Ready for the Next Chapter
Alcaraz will arrive in London next year with unfinished business. Europe’s last appearance there ended in disappointment when McEnroe led Team World to its historic first title. Since then, Team World has added victories in Vancouver and San Francisco, the latter under new Captain Andre Agassi.
For Alcaraz, reclaiming the trophy in London would mark not just a restoration of Team Europe’s winning tradition, but another signpost in a career already defined by its speed, fearlessness and extraordinary potential.
