SEPT 25 - 27, 2026 | LONDON
Three Laver Cup rookies tasted team victory at The O2 in London in 2026, but all four got to immerse themselves in the Laver Cup. The biggest takeaway? How much they cared.
“It definitely was a crazy experience for me,” said Alexander Bublik, one of three newcomers on Team World. “I always watched Laver Cup’s past editions, and I always thought it was more like a fun event, an exhibition. Then I get here, and, to be honest with you, I’ve never cared more about winning this one. I never cared as much in a quarterfinal of a Slam as the doubles I played [Saturday], to be honest. That’s true, that’s the honest truth.”
It’s the team aspect, which isn’t part of the regular tour, that changed the feel. “Being on the tour, we don’t get to spend a lot of time together outside the court, outside the tournaments,” said Team World debutant Brandon Nakashima. “It is great to get to know all these guys. To be able to hear their thoughts or insights on the different matches, players, strategy, it is great for me to hear all that and great to be part of a team.”
Nakashima, 25, kicked off his Laver Cup experience with a win on Day 1 over Jakub Mensik and said that playing in front of a near-full arena in London felt amazing.
Lone Team Europe rookie Rafael Jodar, 20, also won on Friday in his debut match.
“I think these types of events are different from what we are used to on the tour,” the young Spaniard said. “I think we’re traveling a lot alone; we don’t play a lot of team events, so when we have the opportunity, I think these events make us value this sport.”
Jodar said the Laver Cup had two sides. First on the court, “to have so many good players on the bench, I think they help me in any way they can,” he said. Then there was the entire week, and time spent off the court. “It’s something very special for me,” he said.
Team World’s Learner Tien, 20, also won his debut match on Saturday after taking in the competition for an entire day before opening play on Day 2. The format was something that struck him from the jump.
“I think the biggest thing is knowing that no scoreline is really safe,” Tien said. “Matches can turn very fast. Just knowing that was really big.”
He finally got to experience the rollercoaster in person.
“I always watch this event; I think it is a really cool event that I want to play, so I am really happy I got to be part of it,” Tien said. “It is really unique playing on a team in tennis, and I was just grateful I was able to experience it with Pat [Rafter], Andre [Agassi], all those guys.”
The week for Tien focused on soaking in what he could from the older players. For Nakashima, it was all a bit sudden. He didn’t even think he was coming just weeks before the event. When Ben Shelton pulled out of Laver Cup after the US Open, Nakashima got the call while training at home in Florida. “It was a quick ‘yes’ from me,” he said. “I was super excited about it and happy to be part of the team and part of the event. It has been a lot of fun.”
With the goal always of playing at the top of the sport, Nakashima said that making the Laver Cup roster helps achieve that.
“It was amazing, the team atmosphere, the environment that we all get to play in with so many tennis legends a part of it and all these guys’ support on the bench,” he said. “It’s unlike any experience I’ve had before.”
Bublik, 29, didn’t secure a win (he lost in a singles match on Friday to Jodar and dropped two doubles matches, on Friday and on Saturday), but he still focused on the positives.
“It was a great experience for me being next to Andre and Pat, being next to the colleagues that I play all the time, together being on the same team supporting each other,” Bublik said. “It was a hell of an experience.”
