Alex de Minaur pulled off one of the most dramatic comebacks in Laver Cup history on Saturday night at The O2 in London, saving a match point before defeating Alexander Zverev 2-6, 7-6(5), 11-9 to give Team World a 5-3 lead over Europe.
Zverev, the reigning US Open and French Open champion, was in total command early. The world number two broke De Minaur twice in the opening set, using his booming serve and punishing forehand to keep the Australian pinned behind the baseline. He cruised through the set 6-2 in just 28 minutes, looking every bit the dominant force that has won two Grand Slams this summer.
But De Minaur, who has been dubbed "unstoppable" by Team World captain Andre Agassi for his performances in the team format, began to claw his way back. The Australian started pressing forward more aggressively, finding success at the net and using his trademark speed and court coverage to drag Zverev into uncomfortable positions. Errors crept into the German's game as the pressure mounted.
The pivotal moment came with Zverev serving at 5-4 in the second set, one game from victory. He double-faulted twice in succession to hand De Minaur a crucial break, and the Australian levelled the set on a tiebreak he won 7-5, sending the match to a first-to-10 match tiebreak.
The decider was a thriller. Zverev surged to 9-8 and had a match point, but De Minaur saved it with a nerveless rally. The Australian then produced a spectacular diving volley that left him with a bloodied right knee — a moment that drew comparisons to Boris Becker's famous Laver Cup effort — before earning his own match point at 10-9. Zverev's defensive lob floated long, and De Minaur sealed the victory with a crisp backhand down the line.
"If you can notice, my blood is red as well," De Minaur said with a smile, pointing to his injured leg and the team's scarlet shirts. "It was a very tough match, a tough battle. I left it all out there and got fortunate in the end to get the job done."
The win maintains De Minaur's perfect singles record at the Laver Cup, where he is now unbeaten in four matches across three editions. It was also his second straight victory over Zverev in the competition, following last year's triumph in San Francisco as Team World clinched the title.
The result caps a remarkable turnaround for Team World, who had trailed 3-1 after Friday's opening session. Earlier on Saturday, American teenager Learner Tien had beaten Italy's Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 2-6, 10-7 to narrow the gap before De Minaur's heroics pushed the visitors ahead.
Team World now holds a commanding 5-3 advantage heading into the final day of competition on Sunday, with Alcaraz set to lead Europe's fightback.
Sources
- https://lavercup.com/news/2026/09/26/de-minaur-stages-extraordinary-comeback-against-zverev-world-takes-5-3-lead
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-27/laver-cup-tennis-alex-de-minaur-beats-alexander-zverev/107200472
