ATP Tour

Zverev tops Tien, clinches Laver Cup for Team Europe

Alexander Zverev held his nerve when it mattered most on Sunday afternoon, defeating Learner Tien to claim the Laver Cup trophy for Team Europe.

The No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Zverev saved a set point in a gripping opening set before battling through to a 7-6(3), 6-3 victory, giving Team Europe an unassailable 13-5 lead at The O2 in London and sparking jubilant celebrations on the court.

The triumph marks Yannick Noah’s first Laver Cup title as Team Europe captain, having fallen short against Andre Agassi’s Team World in San Francisco last year. Europe have now won six of the nine editions.

“I would like to thank my team,” Noah said. “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.”

Zverev’s victory capped a thrilling Sunday for Team Europe. Flavio Cobolli and Jakub Mensik had earlier put Europe within touching distance of the trophy with a commanding doubles performance against Alex de Minaur and Taylor Fritz. After initially falling a break behind, the European pair found their rhythm and took control, racing to a 7-5, 6-3 victory to stretch the lead to 10-5.

That left Zverev with the opportunity to finish the job, and the highest-ranked player in the event delivered.

"I haven't won a match here in two years, so I'm happy that I did it today," Zverev said in 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."

The German, a two-time major champion in 2026, made amends for his defeat to De Minaur on Saturday by securing his third consecutive Lexus ATP Head2Head victory over Tien (3-1).

In a tense opening set, Tien saved three consecutive break points at 5-5, including a spectacular exchange in which Zverev had three opportunities to put away a smash before the American somehow scrambled back into the point, lifting Agassi to his feet. Zverev then saved a set point on serve at 5-6 and dug deep in the tie-break to take the opening set and then maintained his composure to complete the job.

It was Zverev’s first Laver Cup singles victory since 2024. With the German’s final point, Team Europe had its trophy back.