Alexander Zverev talked about Team Europe’s strategy going into Day 3 and how Carlos Alcaraz led the way in selecting matchups.
Bjorn Borg’s Team Europe did the unthinkable, winning the title at the 2024 Laver Cup despite trailing 4-8 after the end of Day 2’s play. The top players in the lineup were struggling to pull off a win. Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, and Alexander Zverev had lost their respective matches. However, Carlos Alcaraz did not see any negatives and plotted his team’s win before the play on Day 3 even started.
The Spaniard, playing his first Laver Cup, led the way in selecting the matchups and imparting confidence in his mates to take down their respective opponents. Zverev revealed how the 21-year-old showed more faith in him than he has in himself.
Zverev claimed that Team Europe finalized the itinerary and who was going to play against whom at midnight. It was then Alcaraz showed his belief in the German ace, claiming that he would certainly defeat Frances Tiafoe.
At midnight we decided who would play on Sunday. Carlos decided he would play doubles with Ruud. Told us Medvedev would face Shelton and that I would not lose to Tiafoe. He had more confidence on me than I've ever had on myself.Alexander Zverev said
Zverev lived up to Alcaraz’s expectations as he defeated Tiafoe in three sets to win three crucial points for his team. The German ace, despite conceding the first set in a tiebreaker (5-7), thumped his opponent by winning the next two sets: 7-5, 10-5.
Carlos Alcaraz also brings the best out of Casper Ruud
Not just Alexander Zverev, but Carlos Alcaraz had faith in all of his teammates and it worked wonders for Team Europe. After the win, Casper Ruud revealed how the Spaniard surprisingly picked him as his partner for the doubles match against Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton.
Ruud then said that while he did not understand Alcaraz’s choice before the match, it was easy for him to understand why he picked him.
We were a bit clueless for the doubles match-up. So we asked Carlos if he’d be interested in playing doubles, because obviously he has played doubles on the big occasion with Rafa [Nadal] at the Olympics. We asked him if he were to play doubles, who would he feel comfortable playing with? For some reason he picked me. I don’t know why, but I guess now we know – he gets the best out of me somehow.Casper Ruud said after the title win. (H/T: Laver Cup)
Ruud and Alcaraz, shaked off a lackluster start and found their range when they broke in the third game, and were never behind after that, winning 6-2, 7-6(6). This gave Team Europe a good leap as they now trailed 7-8. Daniil Medvedev was expected to take down Shelton in the singles match but it did not happen and the deficit was again of four points.
However, as Alcaraz believed, Zverev took down Tiafoe and in the last match of the day, Alcaraz brought his A game to the fore, defeating Taylor Fritz 6-2, 7-5 for the title win.
