A Season of Firsts

The 2025 season unfolded through moments of arrival, from career milestones and breakthrough wins to new leadership for Team Europe and Team World. Here are seven moments that mattered across the tennis year.

Carlos Alcaraz: First eight-title haul
Carlos Alcaraz closed out the most complete season of his career, finishing as year-end No.1 for the second time. He captured eight singles titles — his highest tally since turning professional — including two more major crowns at Roland Garros and the US Open.

In San Francisco for Team Europe, the Spaniard partnered rising Czech talent Jakub Mensik for the first time in doubles, defeating Alex Michelsen and Taylor Fritz in straight sets to give Team Europe a 3–1 lead after Day 1. Although he tasted defeat against Fritz for the first time on Saturday, the Spanish superstar responded emphatically on Sunday. Alcaraz delivered six vital points for Europe, winning the doubles alongside Casper Ruud before sealing victory in singles against Francisco Cerundolo.

Experiencing his first overall defeat with Team Europe only sharpened his focus, with the Spaniard already looking ahead to redemption in 2026 at The O2 in London. “I’m really motivated to help Team Europe win the Laver Cup back,” he said.

Casper Ruud: First serve salutations
For the fourth time in five years, Casper Ruud kicked off Laver Cup on Day 1, immediately giving Team Europe an early edge. The Norwegian delivered a serving performance against ‘Serve Bot’ Reilly Opelka that even surprised himself, landing 80 per cent of his first serves and winning 88 per cent of those points. “I don’t think I’ve ever been at 80 per cent first serves,” Ruud admitted afterwards.

Team World Vice-Captain Patrick Rafter was equally struck. “He must have made 20 to 25 first serves in a row. I’ve never seen a serving display like this in my life. It was impressive.” 2025 proved a season of firsts for Ruud in every sense. He announced the impending arrival of his first child in 2026 with fiancée Maria Galligani and claimed his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Madrid.

Taylor Fritz: First Win Over a No.1
Fritz’s 6-3, 6-2 victory over Alcaraz in San Francisco was more than a point on the board for Team World — it marked a decisive shift in belief.  “I knew what I had to do,” said Fritz, who recorded the first win of his career over a reigning No.1. “The question was if I was going to be able to do it … I’m hoping this can be a sign of things to come.”

Fritz described the breakthrough as one of the most important in his career. “I think I take almost more pride in this one because I feel like, start to finish, I won it, I earned it,” he said. The Californian went on to seal victory for Team World on Day 3, prevailing in the decisive Match 12 against Alexander Zverev. Competing in his first Laver Cup on home soil across five appearances, Fritz capped off 2025 with titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne and a semifinal run at Wimbledon, where he fell to Alcaraz in four sets.

João Fonseca: First Brazilian, Youngest Winner
João Fonseca’s Laver Cup experience contributed to a breakout season. The youngest man to win a match in Laver Cup play and the first Brazilian on Team World’s bench, Fonseca’s victory over Flavio Cobolli on Day 1 at Chase Center uplifted his teammates. “I saw the team in the locker room …. like, sitting down,” he said. “Then I started jumping, like, ‘Come on, guys, it’s just 2-love. We have one match. I could win, and it’s 2-1’.” Ranked No.113 in January, Fonseca captured his first ATP singles title at Buenos Aires, aged 18, and a second post Laver Cup, in Basel. He finished the year ranked No.24.

Alexander Zverev: First Player to Compete in Six Laver Cup Editions
Zverev backed up his first Australian Open final in 2025 with another authoritative season, maintaining a top-three ranking and adding silverware to an already glittering résumé. His latest title, captured in Munich, was the 24th singles crown of his career.

Zverev equalled his career-high ranking of No.2 in May before holding firm at No.3 for the remainder of the year. He has now finished inside the top 10 in seven of the past eight seasons. Just weeks before Laver Cup 2025, he became the fifth active male player to record 500 career wins. In San Francisco, he became the only player to make six Laver Cup appearances. He has been part of all five Team Europe triumphs at the event, including lifting the trophy in front of his home crowd in Berlin last year.

Alex de Minaur: 50-plus wins in One Season
Australian No.1 and 10-time ATP Tour singles champion Alex de Minaur reached a new career milestone in 2025, recording 50 tour-level wins in a single season for the first time. Two of those victories came on the Laver Cup stage in San Francisco. De Minaur defeated Zverev on Saturday before backing it up with a crucial Day 3 singles win over Mensik, a result that kept Team World narrowly in front on the leaderboard. The season’s progress carried through to November, when De Minaur reached the semifinals of the season-ending ATP Finals for the first time. His run ended against Carlos Alcaraz, who prevailed 7–6(5), 6–2.

The First Laver Cup Under Noah and Agassi
Team Europe’s Yannick Noah and Team World’s Andre Agassi ushered in a new era at Laver Cup in 2025, taking on captaincy roles for the first time and succeeding long-time leaders Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe at the eighth edition in San Francisco. For Agassi, the week carried an added milestone, as he celebrated his first Laver Cup title as Captain of Team World. “This has been over the moon for me,” he said. “So much has to do with people and the luxury of being around these warriors … these guys, their heart is bigger than their game. I would go to war with any of them, any day of the week.”