SEPT 25 - 27, 2026 | LONDON
Where else would two players, who only days earlier were all but at each other’s throats, come together as teammates?
That will happen this week when Argentine Francisco Cerundolo and American Taylor Fritz join forces as Team World goes for its fourth Laver Cup title in five years at The 02 in London. Earlier this month, Cerundolo stormed back from a seemingly insurmountable two-sets-to-love deficit to upset the 10th seed Fritz in Round 3 at the US Open, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, in three hours and 39 minutes.
“I don’t even know what to say,” said a stunned Fritz, a finalist at Flushing Meadows two years ago.
But that’s the underlying beauty of Laver Cup: Players who spend the majority of the season trying to kick the stuffing out of each other get to team up for this all-for-one/one-for-all global showdown, supporting their tour colleagues from first ball to last.
“I’m really excited to play again for the team, for the captain, for the players,” said Cerundolo, who will be joined by Americans Fritz, Learner Tien and Brandon Nakashima, Aussie Alex de Minaur, and Kazakh Alexander Bublik on the 2026 Team World roster. “Having the feeling of being a winner, it’s fantastic. Hopefully, we can have it on our side again this year.”
Cerundolo, 28, played a pivotal role last year in San Francisco in Team World Captain Andre Agassi’s debut, defeating Team Europe’s Holger Rune on Day 2, 6-3, 7-6(5). So steady was the former University of South Carolina standout that Captain Agassi would dub the unrelenting baseliner everything from the “Cisco Kid” to “The Rock of Gibraltar”.
“He’s been an important part of the team historically, and I can see why,” said Agassi, whose underdog contingent would pull off a 15-9 come-from-behind victory at San Francisco’s Chase Center. “He absolutely locks down that court. His ball is so heavy. His shot has legs. It’s so disruptive to his opponents. He hurts guys when he competes. It’s always a challenge when you have curves that get thrown at you at the last minute.”
The owner of five tour-level singles titles, Cerundolo has some big wins on his resume. There was his takedown of fifth-ranked Casper Ruud en route to his maiden ATP title in Bastad in 2022. Last year, he took out world No. 2 Alexander Zverev in the semis of the ATP Masters 1000 event in Madrid, a result that lifted him to a career-high No. 18 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Then, of course, there was his toppling of the home-Slam favorite Fritz this month in Arthur Ashe Stadium. They’ll put that result behind them this week. For now, they’re teammates.
“I really like playing team events,” said Cerundolo, who made his Laver Cup debut in Vancouver in 2023, when he became the first South American to win a Laver Cup singles match. “I try to use my experience in these matches. I’m super excited to give my best for this team.”
Cerundolo, whose brother, Juan Manuel, made headlines in June when he shocked world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the second round at Roland Garros, has won a pair of titles in 2026, the first coming on home turf in Buenos Aires, and the second an ATP 500 crown on grass at the Queen’s Club, the biggest of his career.
