Carlos Alcaraz sweeps aside Taylor Fritz to snatch Laver Cup for Team Europe in dramatic final-day comeback

Updated 22/09/2024 at 22:00 GMT

Ben Shelton sealed his first singles victory in style, coming back from a set down to beat Daniil Medvedev to put Team World on the brink of their third successive Laver Cup. But Alexander Zverev also mounted a sensational fightback against Frances Tiafoe to give Carlos Alcaraz the chance to snatch glory. He did not disappoint, expertly handing Taylor Fritz his first defeat of the event.

Highlights: Alcaraz sees off Fritz in straight sets to seal Laver Cup for Team Europe

Carlos Alcaraz continued his sensational Laver Cup form and snatched the trophy for Team Europe with a 6-2 7-5 victory over Taylor Fritz in a winner-takes-all decider.

The tantalising final day of the Laver Cup was defined by comebacks, as first Ben Shelton put Team World one win away from glory after fighting back from a set down against Daniil Medvedev.

Frances Tiafoe was two holds away from clinching the competition, but the American succumbed to a nail-biting Alexander Zverev comeback.

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So it was Alcaraz's turn to complete the comeback for Team Europe, who had not led the standings since Grigor Dimitrov beat Alejandro Tabilo on Day 1 and went into Sunday four points adrift.

The only blot on the 21-year-old's competition copybook was a doubles defeat alongside Zverev on Friday evening, and Alcaraz went on to help Bjorn Borg's men to eight of their 13 points.

And while Fritz found a glimmer of hope in a second-set resurgence, the result felt inevitable from the off.

Watch as Team Europe lift the Laver Cup for a fifth time after comeback victory

The opening set was close to a formality for the Spaniard, who bookended the 6-2 score with a pair of devastating love-holds.

In between, Alcaraz made good on two out of three break points - and from Team Europe looking destined to lose the Laver Cup after Shelton's victory, the tide had emphatically turned.

The four-time Grand Slam champion needed to fight off an immediate break-back threat at the start of the second set, with Fritz passing up three opportunities to make the first dent in his opponent's serve.

But the world No. 7 did not squander his next chance, drawing level at 4-4 with a shock break and slamming in a love-hold to alter the atmosphere in the once-jubilant blue corner.

Alcaraz did not panic and broke back at the next opportunity and served out the match to get the trophy back in the hands of Team Europe.

Zverev fights back to clinch 'win or die' Tiafoe tie-break

Alcaraz was given the opportunity to win the Laver Cup via Zverev's nerve-wracking tie-break victory over Tiafoe.

The German found himself a set and a break down to his American opponent, but prevailed in a "win or die" contest 6-7(5) 7-5 10-5.

Tiafoe's service game took a nosedive after edging the opening set, his first-serve percentage plummeting from 73% to just 40%.

And by the time Zverev rescued the match with a hard-fought break at the end of the second set, momentum had well and truly swung.

Both players could only win five points on their serve in the tense match-deciding tie-break, and Zverev hailed his team-mates for their regular input.

"It was a win or die tie for us," said Zverev post-match. "I knew that I had to put all my energy, all my efforts in and the team helped me so much with a lot of great coaching and a lot of energy.

"We've got so many great team-mates. We're getting all so close. During the Laver Cup, we're all becoming friends, almost, and it's so special."

'But then I have to run more' - Alcaraz and Dimitrov turn coach for Zverev

And with Laver Cup architect Roger Federer in the crowd, alongside Boris Becker and former German football star Bastian Schweinsteiger, Zverev knew that there was added pressure to deliver.

Zverev said: "It is very special for sure to play in front of, we have a lot of sporting legends actually, not only from tennis, but also from the football world, with Bastian Schweinsteiger. Obviously with Roger [Federer] and Boris [Becker], it’s always very special.

"They do put a lot of pressure on me when they both start coaching me and I’m all of a sudden down a set and a break. I mean, it must be me. It can’t be their coaching. So I must have really not played well."

Shelton downs Medvedev with comeback win

Earlier, Shelton fought back from a set down to vanquish Medvedev 6-7(6) 7-5 10-7 and put Team World one win away from Laver Cup glory.

In his third match on the spin, and his fourth in the last five contests in Berlin, Shelton showed incredible powers of recovery to get his first singles victory in the competition, having lost in straight sets to Alcaraz on Saturday.

After passing up two set points in the opening tie-break, Shelton survived multiple break points to level the match, before edging the deciding breaker.

No one at the Uber Arena played more tennis than Shelton by the close of play, but the budding star refused to call himself the hardest-working team member.

"I'm definitely not," insisted Shelton. "I think John and Patrick [McEnroe] are the hardest-working men, because they have to deal with all the BS from me and Frances [Tiafoe], especially, but all the other guys as well. They have to put up with all that."

The American admitted that he had to hang on in a number of tough moments, responding to the suggestion that he was on the cusp of losing that match with: "Tell me about it."

Highlights: Shelton beats Medvedev in thriller to edge Team World closer to Laver Cup triumph

"It was really important to just stay loose in those moments. I know that I'm a great server. I know I can serve my way and play my way out of tight spots and I did a great job of that," Shelton added.

"When I got a little tight at certain points in the second set, I just hit a bomb."

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