Ruud and Cerundolo to open as Laver Cup returns to London with Alcaraz on top of the bill
Casper Ruud against Francisco Cerundolo will open the Laver Cup at The O2 on Friday.
The Day 1 schedule for London 2026 was confirmed on 24 September, with Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz and Rafael Jodar also in action on the opening day. The ninth edition runs from 25-27 September and comprises five sessions over three days. Laver Cup
It is Europe versus the World. That is the whole idea. The Laver Cup is a Ryder Cup-style team event, with players who usually travel alone thrown together on the bench, shouting for each other.
Team World arrive as holders after winning the 2025 edition in San Francisco. Team Europe have won five of the previous eight editions. ATP Tour London hosts for the second time, after the 2022 event at the same arena.
Team Europe are led by captain Yannick Noah and headlined by Alcaraz, described as the leading global star of the current men's tour. Alongside him are Alexander Zverev, Flavio Cobolli, Ruud and Jakub Mensik. Team World are captained by Andre Agassi and include world No. 10 Fritz. Roger Federer and Rod Laver joined both captains in London ahead of the event. ATP Tour
Form points in different directions. Zverev arrives as the 2026 US Open men's champion. Alcaraz fell in the quarter-finals in New York to Ben Shelton, ending his bid for a second straight title there. The most recent account credits Alcaraz with seven major singles titles and a completed career Grand Slam, winning all four majors.
There is history in the room. The Laver Cup was first held in Prague in 2017, masterminded by Federer and his manager Tony Godsick. It was once viewed as an adversary to the Davis Cup and ATP events. It is now an official part of the tennis calendar. The Guardian
Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have all competed alongside each other at the event. Organisers want it to hold a similar place in tennis to the Ryder Cup in golf. That means noise, colours, and players celebrating points they would normally greet with a nod.
The business side bears watching too. The event made an operating profit of £4.9m in Chicago in 2021 and delivered £4.1m in London in 2022, but lost £1.8m in Vancouver in 2023. Berlin in 2024 would have lost £1.5m without additional non-tournament revenue. The accounts for San Francisco 2025 have not yet been published. The Guardian
For fans at The O2, there will be a free interactive Fan Zone alongside the tennis.
What makes this stand out is the format pressure. Every match counts toward the team total, so a quiet Friday morning can decide a loud Sunday evening. One break point, a chance to take the server's game, can swing not just a set but the bench behind it.
Ruud and Cerundolo start that argument. Alcaraz and Fritz continue it. By Sunday, we will know if Europe take back the trophy or the World keep it.
