The Laver Cup has a way of lingering. Team Europe clinched the 2026 trophy with a 13-5 win at The O2, but for most of the twelve men who played, the celebrations were short. Barely days later, the trip from London to Asia was already doing damage.
Thursday was the toughest day. In Tokyo, Casper Ruud lost to Luciano Darderi 7-6(3), 6-3, and Taylor Fritz, the third seed, lost to Jaume Munar 6-7(7), 6-4, 6-3 in 2 hours and 58 minutes. Brandon Nakashima was beaten 6-3, 6-2 by Ugo Humbert, and Rafael Jodar was dismissed by a qualifier. In Beijing, Flavio Cobolli lost to Roman Safiullin 6-3, 6-2, Learner Tien lost in three sets to Hubert Hurkacz, and Alexander Bublik fell to Jakub Mensik.
That makes seven of the twelve players who took part in London out in their first match in Asia. The survivors are Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Alex de Minaur, Francisco Cerundolo and Jakub Mensik. Including the two alternates, Arthur Fery and Ignacio Buse, who both lost as well, nine of the 14 men named in London are already gone.
There is an obvious explanation. The players moved from a fast indoor court in London to outdoor hard courts in Asia, with a big time difference on top. Alcaraz, who needed three sets to beat Alex Michelsen in Tokyo, said that the sudden heat and humidity, after days of rain that kept the players indoors, made things very hard.
Europe's Cup, but a close one
The score of 13-5 hides a tighter contest. Team World led 5-3 on Saturday, and all three Saturday singles went to a champions tie-break. Alcaraz beat Fritz 6-3, 4-6, 13-11 in the match of the weekend. Zverev lost his own singles to De Minaur 2-6, 7-6(5), 11-9, so Europe took only a narrow 7-5 lead into Sunday.
On the last day, Cobolli and Mensik beat De Minaur and Fritz 7-5, 6-3, and Zverev closed it with a 7-6(3), 6-3 win over Tien. It was captain Yannick Noah's first title, and Europe now lead the series 6-3. Zverev is now the all-time leading scorer at the event with 26 points and 6 trophies.
Who played the most in London
Four players had three matches each: Zverev, Mensik, Fritz and Bublik. Zverev went 2-1, and Mensik also finished 2-1 with a singles loss and two doubles wins. Fritz and Bublik went 0-3, losing every match they played, and then lost their first matches in Asia too.
Two players barely played. Jodar and Cerundolo had one match each, and the outcomes split. Cerundolo, who lost to Ruud in London, came back from a set down to beat Botic van de Zandschulp 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in nearly three hours. Jodar was knocked out in straight sets surprisingly by Adolfo Vallegjo, after a fresh and impressive London debut. Light use in London did not guarantee an easy transition.
Team Europe
| Player | Tournament | Result | Opponent | Score |
| Carlos Alcaraz | Tokyo | Won | Alex Michelsen | 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-1 |
| Alexander Zverev | Beijing | Won | Cameron Norrie | 7-6(1), 6-4 |
| Casper Ruud | Tokyo | Lost | Luciano Darderi | 6-7(3), 3-6 |
| Flavio Cobolli | Beijing | Lost | Roman Safiullin | 3-6, 2-6 |
| Rafael Jodar | Tokyo | Lost | Adolfo Vallejo | 1-6, 3-6 |
| Jakub Mensik | Beijing | Won | Alexander Bublik | 6-4, 7-6(5) |
| Arthur Fery* | Beijing | Lost | Jaime Faria | 4-6, 6-3, 4-6 |
The biggest shocks
Jodar's loss is perhaps the standout result. The fourth seed in Tokyo and winner of his Laver Cup match against Bublik, the 19-year-old lost 6-1, 6-3 to qualifier Vallejo in just over an hour. Fritz's defeat was much closer but costly. The American was a former Tokyo champion and last year's finalist, but his run ended immediately against Munar after nearly three hours on court.
Ruud, the sixth seed, was well below his best physically and lost in straight sets to Darderi. Nakashima, the fifth seed, was also eliminated, meaning half of the seeded players had already been knocked out by the end of Thursday.
Journée COMPLIQUÉE pour les joueurs arrivés de la Laver Cup. 😬
— Univers Tennis 🎾 (@UniversTennis) October 1, 2026
❌ Ruud vs Darderi
❌ Fritz vs Munar
✅ De Minaur vs Navone
❌ Nakashima vs Humbert
❌ Fery vs Faria
✅ Cerundolo vs Van de Zandschulp
❌ Buse vs Halys
❌ Cobolli vs Safiullin pic.twitter.com/zS2CtnOZEa
Tien's exit was particularly costly given what he was defending. The American lost to Hurkacz in three sets after reaching the final in Tokyo last year, the first ATP 500 final of his career, where he eventually fell to Jannik Sinner. With those points on the line, advancing in Tokyo was particularly important for Tien.
Fery and Buse were named as alternates for Team Europe and Team World respectively and are not counted among the 12 players who competed in London. Both were present at The O2 during the tournament, waiting for an opportunity in case one of their teammates was unable to play, but neither ultimately took the court. Both have since lost their opening matches in Beijing, with Fery falling to Jaime Faria and Buse losing to Quentin Halys.
Team World
| Player | Tournament | Result | Opponent | Score |
| Alex de Minaur | Beijing | Won | Mariano Navone | 7-6(4), 6-2 |
| Taylor Fritz | Tokyo | Lost | Jaume Munar | 6-7(7), 6-4, 6-3 |
| Learner Tien | Beijing | Lost | Hubert Hurkacz | — |
| Brandon Nakashima | Tokyo | Lost | Ugo Humbert | 3-6, 2-6 |
| Alexander Bublik | Beijing | Lost | Jakub Mensik | 4-6, 6-7(5) |
| Francisco Cerundolo | Beijing | Won | Botic van de Zandschulp | 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 |
| Ignacio Buse* | Beijing | Lost | Quentin Halys | 1-6, 6-7(3) |
Who is still alive?
The five survivors have all shown that the transition from London to Asia is manageable, even if it has not always been comfortable. In Beijing, Zverev beat Cameron Norrie 7-6(1), 6-4, while De Minaur defeated Mariano Navone 7-6(4), 6-2. Mensik then beat Bublik 6-4, 7-6(5), while Cerundolo recovered from a set down to defeat van de Zandschulp.
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Alcaraz, meanwhile, is the defending champion in Tokyo and is still rebuilding his match fitness, making his three-set escape against Michelsen a useful early test. The Spaniard survived, but the physical demands of the transition from London were clear.
The next round guarantees another Laver Cup casualty. Cerundolo will face Mensik in Beijing on October 3, meaning one of the two will reach the quarterfinals. De Minaur, meanwhile, will face Halys. At least one of the players who competed at The O2 is therefore guaranteed to make the Beijing quarterfinals, while Alcaraz and the other remaining players continue their campaigns in Asia.
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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