Laver Cup Day 1: Ruud-Cerundolo rematch opens London showdown, Alcaraz saved for doubles

The line-ups for the opening day of the Laver Cup in London have been confirmed. Team Europe captain Yannick Noah will not use Carlos Alcaraz in singles on Friday. The world's biggest star will play only in the doubles match that closes the day's play at The O2.

Order of play: Friday, 25 September

Day session (1pm London / 8pm Malaysia)

1. Casper Ruud (Europe) vs Francisco Cerundolo (World)
2. Jakub Mensik (Europe) vs Brandon Nakashima (World)

Night session (7pm London / 2am Saturday Malaysia)

3. Rafael Jodar (Europe) vs Alexander Bublik (World)
4. Jakub Mensik/Carlos Alcaraz (Europe) vs Alexander Bublik/Taylor Fritz (World)

The storylines

Ruud vs Cerundolo, again. The tournament starts with a rematch. According to the official Laver Cup website, Cerundolo beat Ruud 6-4, 6-4 in the opening match in Berlin in 2024. Ruud won their most recent meeting, 6-4, 7-5 in Madrid in 2025. Cerundolo leads their head-to-head 5-4.

Big serving from Mensik and Nakashima. Both players rely on big serves. Nakashima leads their head-to-head 1-0 after beating Mensik 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-4 in Washington.

Jodar's debut. The evening session begins with a first meeting between two Laver Cup debutants. Spain's Rafael Jodar is 20, and the Laver Cup website says he has jumped 311 places in the rankings to No. 14 in about a year. He faces Alexander Bublik, who is known for being unpredictable.

Alcaraz back with Mensik. Alcaraz and Mensik played together in 2025 and won 7-6(7), 6-4. They face Bublik, who plays twice on Friday, and Taylor Fritz. According to Spanish outlet Puntodebreak, Alcaraz is again playing the first doubles match of the event, as he has done before.

How the scoring works

The Laver Cup has more points available on each day. Every match on Friday is worth one point, every match on Saturday two, and every match on Sunday three. There are 24 points available in total and the first team to 13 wins. If the teams are tied after 12 matches, a deciding doubles match is played.

This means a strong Friday gives a team an advantage, but not a big one. Most of the points are decided at the weekend.

The teams

Team Europe (captain Yannick Noah, vice-captain Tim Henman): Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Flavio Cobolli, Casper Ruud, Jakub Mensik, Rafael Jodar.

Team World (captain Andre Agassi, vice-captain Patrick Rafter): Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Alexander Bublik, Learner Tien, Francisco Cerundolo, Brandon Nakashima.

Team World won the most recent Laver Cup in 2025, so Europe begin on home soil as the challengers.

Zverev, Cobolli, de Minaur and Tien do not play on Friday. That leaves both captains with fresh players for Saturday, when each match is worth twice as much.

Watching from Malaysia

The day session starts at 8pm Malaysian time. The Alcaraz doubles match is last on the schedule and will not begin until after 2am on Saturday at the earliest.

Key takeaways

• The Laver Cup starts at The O2 in London on Friday, with the day session at 8pm Malaysian time.
• Ruud vs Cerundolo opens the event, a rematch of their 2024 opening match.
• Rafael Jodar, 20, makes his debut against Alexander Bublik in the night session.
• Carlos Alcaraz plays only doubles on Day 1, with Jakub Mensik against Bublik and Taylor Fritz.
• Friday matches are worth one point each, and the first team to 13 points wins.

FAQ

Why isn't Alcaraz playing singles on Friday? Team Europe put him in the doubles only on Day 1, alongside Jakub Mensik, his partner from 2025. Captains can use players in singles and doubles on different days.

How many points are needed to win the Laver Cup? 13 of the 24 available points. If it is 12-12, a final doubles match decides the winner.

Who won last year? Team World won the 2025 edition.

Sources: Laver Cup (official site), ATP Tour, Puntodebreak