Tag: chase center

The most highly anticipated player matchup of the 2025 Laver Cup — world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz vs. top-ranked American Taylor Fritz — kicked off the night session on Saturday in front of a jam-packed house of tennis fans at Chase Center in San Francisco.

Despite being the world No. 5, Fritz was the heavy underdog in this match, given his head-to-head record with the Spaniard — 0-3, with just one set won — plus Alcaraz having won six majors, including the U.S. Open earlier in September.

Yet, somehow, Fritz managed to pull off the big upset — and notch one of the signature victories of his career — as he beat Alcaraz 6-3, 6-2 and pushed Team World to a 7-3 lead in this Laver Cup competition. (The first team to score 13 points wins the cup.)

The match definitely lived up to the advance hype, with these two top 5-ranked right-handers drawing huge rounds of applause from the crowd for their numerous circus shots, thunderous forehands and stellar court coverage.

Yet, there was one moment when the crowd was louder than at any other point in the evening — and, for that matter, the whole tournament thus far — and it didn’t actually occur during the Alcaraz-Fritz match. Instead, it happened during the pre-match warmups/introductions segment, when the Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry and Laver Cup co-founder Roger Federer — two of the most beloved athletes in the history of professional sport — walked out onto the court to do the coin toss.

As Fritz kicked off the match on serve, it initially looked like the same old script might play out. In the three previous matches that they’ve played (all victories for Alcaraz), the Spaniard would break the big American in his first service game. So, really, it was no surprise when Alcaraz had two chances to break in that first game.

Yet, Fritz then began writing a whole new script — erasing a 15-40 deficit — to capture the game. Alcaraz then won game 2, with an ace down the “T,” with Fritz returning the favor to take game 3.

Fritz had two break chances in game 4 — up 15-40 — but he’d only need one, as he mixed power forehands with a soft dropshot and, finally, an overhead lob that Alcaraz could only sail back into the net.

Both players would then hold their serves, taking the match to 5-2, leaving Fritz the opportunity to serve out the set in the ninth game. At that point, the crowd seemed firmly in Alcaraz’s corner, chanting “Let’s go Carlos” in a fashion that would make you think that this Laver Cup was being held in Barcelona rather than Fritz’s home state. Yet, none of that derailed Fritz as he closed out the set 6-4.

The two players — who also squared off on Friday night in a doubles match that went in Team Europe’s favor — kept up the high level of tennis early in the second set. Then, at 2-2, Fritz would make his move and secure three chances to break in the fifth game. An Alcaraz ace erased the first chance, but Fritz broke through on the second try, following a furious rally and a dropper from Alcaraz that fell short.

Fritz would solidify the break in a tense service game, which ended with an overhead smash, and then go on to break the Spaniard yet again during a surprisingly loose, un-Alcaraz-like service game.

Then Fritz was suddenly — and most would say surprisingly — serving for the match at 5-2. And he’d get the job done in 1 hour and 11 minutes, not only collecting up a true statement win for himself but also putting Team World in the driver seat to perhaps win the Laver Cup on Sunday.

Team World 7, Team Europe 3.

The Laver Cup continues through Sunday. For more information, visit lavercup.com.

Originally Published: September 20, 2025 at 9:12 PM PDT