Essentially the most extremely anticipated participant matchup of the 2025 Laver Cup — world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz vs. top-ranked American Taylor Fritz — kicked off the night time session on Saturday in entrance of a jam-packed home of tennis followers at Chase Heart in San Francisco.
Regardless of being the world No. 5, Fritz was the heavy underdog on this match, given his head-to-head file with the Spaniard — 0-3, with only one set gained — plus Alcaraz having gained six majors, together with the U.S. Open earlier in September.
But, one way or the other, Fritz managed to drag off the massive upset — and notch one of many signature victories of his profession — as he beat Alcaraz 6-3, 6-2 and pushed Crew World to a 7-3 lead on this Laver Cup competitors. (The primary workforce to attain 13 factors wins the cup.)
The match positively lived as much as the advance hype, with these two high 5-ranked right-handers drawing big rounds of applause from the group for his or her quite a few circus pictures, thunderous forehands and stellar court docket protection.
But, there was one second when the group was louder than at every other level within the night — and, for that matter, the entire event to date — and it didn’t truly happen throughout the Alcaraz-Fritz match. As a substitute, it occurred throughout the pre-match warmups/introductions phase, when the Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry and Laver Cup co-founder Roger Federer — two of probably the most beloved athletes within the historical past {of professional} sport — walked out onto the court docket to do the coin toss.
As Fritz kicked off the match on serve, it initially appeared like the identical outdated script would possibly play out. Within the three earlier matches that they’ve performed (all victories for Alcaraz), the Spaniard would break the massive American in his first service sport. So, actually, it was no shock when Alcaraz had two possibilities to interrupt in that first sport.
But, Fritz then started writing a complete new script — erasing a 15-40 deficit — to seize the sport. Alcaraz then gained sport 2, with an ace down the “T,” with Fritz returning the favor to take sport 3.
Fritz had two break possibilities in sport 4 — up 15-40 — however he’d solely want one, as he blended energy forehands with a delicate dropshot and, lastly, an overhead lob that Alcaraz may solely sail again into the online.
Each gamers would then maintain their serves, taking the match to 5-2, leaving Fritz the chance to serve out the set within the ninth sport. At that time, the group appeared firmly in Alcaraz’s nook, chanting “Let’s go Carlos” in a style that may make you suppose that this Laver Cup was being held in Barcelona slightly than Fritz’s house state. But, none of that derailed Fritz as he closed out the set 6-4.
The 2 gamers — who additionally squared off on Friday night time in a doubles match that went in Crew Europe’s favor — saved up the excessive stage of tennis early within the second set. Then, at 2-2, Fritz would make his transfer and safe three possibilities to interrupt within the fifth sport. An Alcaraz ace erased the primary likelihood, however Fritz broke by on the second strive, following a livid rally and a dropper from Alcaraz that fell quick.
Fritz would solidify the break in a tense service sport, which ended with an overhead smash, after which go on to interrupt the Spaniard but once more throughout a surprisingly free, un-Alcaraz-like service sport.
Then Fritz was immediately — and most would say surprisingly — serving for the match at 5-2. And he’d get the job accomplished in 1 hour and 11 minutes, not solely amassing up a real assertion win for himself but in addition placing Crew World within the driver seat to maybe win the Laver Cup on Sunday.
Crew World 7, Crew Europe 3.
The Laver Cup continues by Sunday. For extra info, go to lavercup.com.
Initially Printed: September 20, 2025 at 9:12 PM PDT
