In the doubles match of the 2024 Laver Cup, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev faced a tough defeat against American pair Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton. The Team Europe duo lost 7-6(5) 6-4 at the Uber Arena in Berlin, bringing the overall tie to a 2-2 draw at the end of the first day. Earlier in the day, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Grigor Dimitrov secured wins in their singles matches, giving Europe a 2-1 lead before the doubles rubber.

Alcaraz and Zverev, playing together for the first time, started the match strong but struggled against the powerful serves and groundstrokes of their American opponents. Despite falling behind early, the Europeans fought back to force a first-set tie-break after breaking back at 5-4.

Quotes from the players revealed their thoughts on the match. Shelton praised Fritz’s movement on court, saying, “It makes life pretty easy when you’re playing with a guy who’s moving like Taylor is right now. He’s pretty light on his feet and we had a lot of fun.” Shelton also expressed confidence in his team, stating, “I probably [would] not [have taken a 2-2 scoreline at the start of the day]. I back our guys. Every time I’ve seen them they’re on the bench cheering. I think we’re going to win. Definitely would have been hoping for a 4-0, but 2-2, we feel comfortable and confident going into day two.”

Despite the loss, Alcaraz and Zverev showed moments of brilliance on the court, with Alcaraz pulling off a bizarre volley winner that caught the attention of fans. The Laver Cup continues with more exciting matches to come, as players like Grigor Dimitrov offer coaching tips to their teammates during the intense competition. The action-packed event promises thrilling moments and competitive tennis as the teams battle for supremacy.