From the Brink to the Winner's Circle
Almost nobody would have predicted a Team World victory when Alexander Zverev stepped to the service line at 6-2, 5-3, with a match point in hand. Yet Alex de Minaur refused to fold. The Australian dug deep during the third-set super-tiebreak, saved the match point, and ultimately won when a Zverev backhand sailed beyond the sideline. The comeback handed de Minaur his fourth career win over the German and left the O2 Arena buzzing.
De Minaur had been under pressure from the opening ball, especially after dropping the first set convincingly. He credited staying aggressive and making Zverev earn every point on the slow indoor surface. "Just stay in there, keep asking questions, give yourself a chance," he said during his courtside interview. The win was particularly timely given that Zverev had been riding a nine-match winning streak, having captured the US Open title and both of his Davis Cup group matches against Croatia. The loss pushed Zverev's 2026 record against top-10 opponents to a concerning 2-8.
Team World Flips the Script
The timing could not have been better for Team World. They had entered Saturday trailing 3-1 after the first day's four matches. Learner Tien first levelled the contest with a win over Flavio Cobolli, and then de Minaur's two-point victory pushed Team World into a 5-3 lead. With three points on offer for every match on the final day, the tie is wide open. De Minaur reminded reporters that Team World claimed the Laver Cup title last year from a similar underdog position, and clearly he believes lightning can strike twice. TennisDraw users tracking the Laver Cup bracket had Zverev as one of the most-backed players for Team Europe this weekend, making this comeback all the more shocking.
