LONDON/WASHINGTON, September 29, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)
As Alexander Zverev secured his straight-set 7-6 (3), 6-3 victory over Learner Tien that clinched the 2026 Laver Cup title for Team Europe by a final and unassailable 13-5 score Sunday afternoon, it culminated three days of energy and camaraderie – and set off a jubilant celebration across the jet-black O2 Arena court surface.
Zverev, the reigning French Open and US Open champion, had held his nerve against Tien – saving a set point in the opener along the way. He beamed a huge smile as he raised his arms in victory and, soon, was hugged by his team captain, Yannick Noah, and the rest of his Team Europe teammates, including: Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, Flavio Cobolli, Jakub Mensik, Rafael Jodar and Arthur Fery.
Laver Cup glory 🔵🏆
The moment @AlexZverev defeats Tien 7-6(3), 6-3 to secure Team Europe’s sixth Laver Cup.
#LaverCup #TennisUnrivaled pic.twitter.com/kI0RCcy1Qa— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 27, 2026
There were plenty of emotions on display being shared between the Team Europe players, who for the other 51 weeks of the year are opponents of one another on the ATP Tour. Looking back at this year’s Laver Cup, for the players who comprised both teams, it brought out their love of the game.
“I would like to thank my team,” Noah said afterward, during an on-court interview. “I don’t know if I’m a captain, but most of all I think maybe you see me as a father or grandfather. … I’ll never forget this special moment that I shared with you. We all love to play, but sometimes winning feels good, so I’m really happy that, for once, you won for me.”
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Zverev had made amends for his Day 2 loss to Team World’s Alex de Minaur on Saturday. His win on the final day of this year’s competition – his first in the Laver Cup since 2024 – came after Cobolli and Mensik had boosted Team Europe’s lead to 10-5 by winning their doubles match over de Minaur and Taylor Fritz, needing just one more three-point victory to garner the title for Team Europe for the sixth time in nine editions.
“I haven’t won a match here in two years, so I’m happy that I did it today,” Zverev said during his on-court interview. “Massive credit to the entire Team World. They pushed us all the way again. They were champions last year. This year, we had a great team chemistry and I’m very happy that we won.”
London belongs to Team Europe 🔵🏆#LaverCup #TennisUnrivaled pic.twitter.com/JmmtDW0ma3
— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 27, 2026
Before Team Europe left the court, there would be plenty of photo opportunities with the Laver Cup trophy. Then, after the on-court and locker room celebrations, complete with Champagne, had simmered a bit, Team Europe held its final Laver Cup news conference. It was during this nearly-25-minute exchange that both Noah and members of Team Europe shared their gratitude toward each other.
From the outset, Noah thanked his vice-captain, Tim Henman, for “doing all the tough work.
“He’s the one following the games. He knows the players. He knows the tactics. He knows tennis. He’s young. So, I mean, it was a good duet. He did all the hard work, and at night I was singing, basically.”
After the laughter died down, the 66-year-old Noah from France, who won the 1983 French Open title and later became a successful singer, struck a more serious tone.
“I felt, from last year, that was all a human adventure,” he said. “These guys are playing all year, and for me, it was always – I was full of gratitude to be able to experience these moments with them on tennis court, this quality of tennis, this event that – I don’t know around the world, but in France is not so well known, really, the amount of emotions.
“Because at the end of the day, this is what we’re doing. We are trying to play for emotions, and we have plenty of emotions, as we shared today, during the week. And, yes, the little extra to have the Cup is good because even though last year we are faking smiles, you know – you know we love you guys, no, it’s much better to win, and it’s good to win here in London, even though I thought that most of the people were against us, for some reason.
“No, anyway, it was a wonderful experience as a captain, and I’m leaving with young friends.”
The soundtrack of the Laver Cup 2026 champions 🔵🏆#LaverCup #TennisUnrivaled pic.twitter.com/IHirsM3tv5
— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 27, 2026
Here’s a sampling of what other members of Team Europe said:
• Alexander Zverev: “I think it was incredible team efforts. Especially, I felt like after I lost yesterday to Alex, I was quite down, and I think the team really helped me back up and helped me push forward, especially in the doubles, which I think was quite an important match.
“I think Carlos kicked us off in the night session yesterday with a very, very important win. It was definitely a massive team effort. The young guys here, they’re all incredibly talented. They have such a bright future ahead.
“It was so fun to be around them throughout this week.”
• Rafael Jodar: “Yeah, it means a lot to me, winning this title with these guys. They helped me since the first day I got here. They knew I was the new one, so they had to explain me how this competition worked.
“But I think they did a really good job supporting me during my first match, you know, during my debut. That is always very difficult.
“So, yeah, I was very happy to get my first win, and then during the whole weekend, I tried to support my teammates. I think we did a great job as a team, supporting each other from the bench to the guy who was on court playing.
“This one means a lot to me to have been able, the opportunity to share this great week with these guys. Yeah, super special.”
• Carlos Alcaraz: “For me, it’s great. I would say that for me it’s great to be back here and be part of the Team Europe in the Laver Cup, you know, especially that I have been out for five months, and this is my second tournament, so I need matches on my back, and to get the good rhythm again, how to see how my body’s going to react, then it’s a really intense game, playing doubles, and have to wake up early with not the proper amount of hours of sleep, and I had to perform my best game.
“So, it’s kind of really intense ones, so I’m just really happy I have been able to play couple of matches here, see that my level, it’s good, happy that I have been playing, and obviously winning the Laver Cup with these guys is always special. I just love the feeling of it.
“I was loving that the feeling of, you know, supporting, you know, these guys when they were playing from the bench, so I think is really unique and a special format that I just love to be part of it.”
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By the numbers
Team Europe has won six of the nine editions of the Laver Cup. They won the first four editions, between 2017-2021 (the Laver Cup was not played in 2020), before Team World won for the first time in 2022. Since then, each team has won the Laver Cup twice.
“Quotable …”
“You know, you’ve got to use everything to your favor, and I’m using, for example, this tournament to bring my joy back. I love playing.
“You know, every time that I step on the court, I love it, because I’m doing with these guys, when it is a team event is totally different, playing for your side, for your teammates, playing for the guys who are supporting you from the bench, from outside. And that’s great.
“Obviously, having a great captain and co-captain behind you all the time, it’s great. This week, as I said, I just really wanted to – I mean, I just love to be part of it and makes me find my joy when I’m playing, helps me a lot to find my great tennis when I’m playing out there, and helps me a lot to the next tournament.
“So that’s what this kind of event brings to me.”
– Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, during Team Europe’s final Laver Cup news conference.
