Rune, Fonseca to make Laver Cup debuts

Holger Rune and Joao Fonseca will make their Laver Cup debuts this year, the event announced on Tuesday.

The Dane joins Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz for Team Europe while Fonseca adds to Team World’s roster, which includes Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton. The Laver Cup will be held at Chase Center in San Francisco from September 19-21, 2025.

“It feels amazing to be selected to play for Team Europe in San Francisco this year,” said Rune. “I was so close to playing the Laver Cup a few years ago but unfortunately got injured and couldn’t make it. I knew that if I got the chance to play again, I would be ready and I’m really looking forward to the competition and to visiting San Francisco for the first time. It’s going to be a great atmosphere, and I know from talking to the other players that the Laver Cup is one of the most enjoyable competitions of the year. I cannot wait to be part of it.”

Rune, World No. 10 in the PIF ATP Rankings, has won five tour-level singles titles. The 22-year-old has reached three Grand Slam quarter-finals and has appeared in four ATP Masters 1000 finals, most recently at Indian Wells in March. Last month, he defeated Team Europe teammate and World No. 3 Alcaraz to win the Barcelona ATP 500. Rune was set to make his Laver Cup debut in Vancouver in 2023 but was forced to withdraw due to a back injury.

Team Europe will be led by captain Yannik Noah. “Holger is a fierce competitor with big-match experience and strong form this season,” said Noah. “I know how eager he is to be part of the Laver Cup, and he will be a fantastic addition to our team in San Francisco.”

The 18-year-old Fonseca has quickly emerged as one of the brightest young stars in the sport. The reigning champion at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, Fonseca reached junior No. 1 in 2023 and broke into the Top 100 of the PIF ATP Rankings just 16 months later. He qualified for his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January, stunning then World No. 9 Andrey Rublev in the opening round. In February, Fonseca won his first ATP Tour title in Buenos Aires.

“I am so excited to have been selected to play for Team World at the Laver Cup,” said Fonseca. “I’ve watched the event since I was a kid and always dreamed of playing. To now be on a team with guys like Fritz, Paul and Shelton, and to be coached by Andre Agassi, it’s just unbelievable! I will give it everything I’ve got.”

Agassi, who also makes his Laver Cup debut as Team World captain this year, looks forward to having the young Brazilian on the team.

“Joao is the kind of young talent that makes Laver Cup so special,” said Agassi. “He’s fearless, energetic, has a huge game and loves the big stage. His performance this season shows me he’s ready for this. I’m sure he will thrive in the team environment and I’m really looking forward to working with him and getting to know him better.”

Now in its eighth edition, the Laver Cup pits six of the best men’s tennis players from Europe against six of their counterparts from the rest of the world in a thrilling three-day competition.

The three highest-ranked players from Europe and the World, based on their PIF ATP Ranking as of the Monday following Roland-Garros, receive an automatic invitation to play the Laver Cup. If any one of these players chooses not to participate, the offer is made to another high ranked player. The remaining three places on each team will be ‘Captain’s Picks’ and can be announced any time before the start of the US Open.

By naming Rune and Fonseca to their teams right now, Noah and Agassi are committing to use a Captain’s Pick on them if they do not qualify based on ranking.

Laver Cup will visit San Francisco for the first time this year, bringing top-level men’s pro tennis back to the Bay Area for the first time in over a decade. Chase Center, home of the seven-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors and WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries, will host tennis for the first time.

A limited number of Full Tournament and Multi-Session Ticket Packages are still available via Ticketmaster, the official ticketing partner of Chase Center. Single-Session Tickets go on sale this Friday, May 16, at 10:00AM (PT). For further updates on player announcements, event updates and ticket presales, fans are encouraged to register as a ‘Laver Cup Insider’ at lavercup.com.