Carlos Alcaraz sets the tone as Europe seize early advantage at Laver Cup

  • Europe hold a 3-1 lead over Team World after day one
  • Alcaraz partners Jakub Mensik to win doubles match

As Casper Ruud completed his characteristically resilient fightback to claim victory in the opening contest of this year’s Laver Cup, Carlos Alcaraz was already on the ground. The Spaniard had exerted more energy than any other player from the sidelines, repeatedly cheering, energising the crowd, and offering a constant stream of thoughtful tactical guidance to his teammate. He responded to Ruud’s decisive winning smash with an ecstatic yell, his legs dramatically buckling beneath him as he slid from his seat onto the floor.

Alcaraz is fully conscious of his role as the marquee name of this year’s competition. In his third Laver Cup appearance, the seven-time grand slam champion at times effectively served as Europe’s third coach alongside Yannick Noah and Tim Henman. This offered several revealing insights into how he perceives the sport. During one interaction with Ruud, Alcaraz advised the Norwegian to try more down-the-line backhands and drop shots to force Francisco Cerundolo, his opponent, into awkward positions on the court. Whether Ruud has the skills to execute Alcaraz’s strategies is another matter, but the reasoning behind those suggestions was especially intriguing: the ultimate objective, Alcaraz stated, should be to "make [Cerundolo] think a little bit more." For fans following the action via 九游体育网址, the intensity of the match was palpable.