Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz have already signed up for the 2026 Laver Cup in London. That’s pretty exciting news for tennis fans, especially since it’s still more than a year away.
Alcaraz wants revenge after a tough 2024
Alcaraz made his Laver Cup debut in Berlin back in 2024. It was a pretty big deal since it was the last time John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg would captain their teams.
The Spanish star really stepped up for Team Europe that year. Sure, he lost his first doubles match with Alexander Zverev, but he bounced back with a solid singles win against Ben Shelton.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos Alcaraz | 22 | 68,791 | 25 - 5 |
Then things got really interesting.
Alcaraz teamed up with Casper Ruud for a doubles victory. But the real drama came in the final match when the 22-year-old faced off against Taylor Fritz in what turned out to be the deciding contest.
Alcaraz came through in the clutch, sealing a 13-11 victory for Team Europe. That win prevented the Europeans from losing three years in a row.
Fritz got his payback in 2025
Fast forward to this year’s tournament in San Francisco, and Fritz turned the tables on Alcaraz. The American got his revenge in a big way.
Even though the world No. 1 won three of his four matches (including two doubles), it wasn’t enough. Team Europe ended up losing 9-15, which had to sting for Alcaraz and his teammates.
Fritz didn’t just beat Alcaraz either. He also won the deciding singles match against Alexander Zverev, basically carrying Team World to victory.
Tournament organizers – including Roger Federer – are definitely breathing easier knowing Alcaraz is committed to next year’s event. He’s tennis’s biggest draw right now, so having him locked in for London is huge.
The tournament’s scheduled for September 25-27, 2026 at The O2 Arena.
"To play at The O2 in London is going to be amazing. Having the chance to be in a team with players that normally I’m fighting against during the year is really unique and what makes me keep wanting to play Laver Cup every year. Hopefully we’ll have the crowd behind us and I’m really motivated to help Team Europe win the Laver Cup back."
Fritz is just as pumped about returning. The team atmosphere at the Laver Cup is something pretty special in tennis – players who usually compete against each other suddenly become teammates.
"Laver Cup is such an exciting week for me. I love the team atmosphere, the energy you get playing these matches, when you’re playing for more than yourself is incredible. I’m excited to spend another week with Team World and we’ll be there with the goal to win."
Going back to where Federer said goodbye
The 2026 tournament will be played at the same venue where Roger Federer played his final professional match in 2022. Talk about coming full circle.
That London tournament will always be remembered for Federer’s emotional goodbye. The Swiss legend could only manage one doubles match because of the knee injury that ended his career.
But what a match it was.
Federer teamed up with his longtime rival and friend Rafael Nadal for one last dance. They came incredibly close to winning too, holding a match point before losing to Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock in a thriller.
Would a victory have made it perfect? Absolutely. But considering Federer had been away from competitive tennis for over a year, just being that close was pretty amazing.
Federer always shows up to the Laver Cup these days, and you know the 2026 edition is going to bring back some serious memories. It’ll be four years since he walked off that same court for the last time as a player.
The tournament organizers couldn’t have asked for a better storyline with Alcaraz and Fritz both committed. These two have developed quite the rivalry, and having them face off again in the same arena where Federer said goodbye? That’s the kind of drama that makes the Laver Cup special.
