The Laver Cup marks only Carlos Alcaraz’s second tournament since returning from the wrist injury that kept him out of the entire grass-court season. This comes just weeks after he told reporters at the US Open that he plans to start managing his workload more carefully going forward. Despite the stated intention to cut back, one event has never made his list of cuts. The Laver Cup starts today in London, and Alcaraz explained why he never turns his back on it.

“It’s a week when I could be training or resting, but it helps me a lot to recover the joy on the court and the pleasure of playing tennis,” he said at Team Europe’s pre-tournament press conference. “Plus, it serves as a great help for the upcoming tournaments. I try to make the most of this week and, of course, get to know the other players better off the court.” He added that the experience carries a personal significance beyond simple preparation for what comes next. 

“For me, it’s a privilege that I truly enjoy. We also have to value the aspect of enjoyment. What this competition brings me is precisely that joy in playing tennis.”

This will be his third appearance at the event since making his debut in Berlin 2024, where he helped produce one title as well in his debut itself. 

His first match of the week comes in doubles, teaming up with Jakub Mensik against Taylor Fritz and Alexander Bublik in Friday’s night session, a rematch of sorts after Alcaraz and Mensik beat Fritz’s pairing at last year’s edition. 

The great thing about all the commitment is that none of it is part of the official tour. Although wins and losses do count toward official ATP career win-loss records since it’s an ATP-sanctioned event, the tournament does not award any ATP ranking points. 

The financial incentive is real, though. Each player on the winning team receives $250,000, with the losing team receiving a confidential appearance fee. 

Carlos Alcaraz’s fight against a tight schedule

It’s an interesting juxtaposition with Alcaraz’s own words about the tennis calendar. Almost two years ago, at a Laver Cup press conference in Berlin, he criticized the tennis calendar, saying it would eventually “kill us in some way.”

He also believes that the packed schedule does not give players time to recuperate and is the reason for severe injuries players endure. This was not an isolated incident in which the Spaniard spoke against the tennis calendar. 

When pressed on this issue in London, Alcaraz differentiated between playing alone and playing in a team, and not between official and unofficial events. 

“This event is unique because the players I’m usually fighting during the whole year, having them as a coach, sometimes it’s great,” he said. “You can see the matches and the tennis much better from outside.”

This year’s Team Europe, captained by Yannick Noah, also features Alexander Zverev, Flavio Cobolli, Casper Ruud, and Rafael Jodar, who makes his Laver Cup debut this weekend, with Arthur Fery serving as alternate. 

Team World, led by Andre Agassi, is aiming for a second consecutive title, having defeated Team Europe 15-9 last year in San Francisco.