Carlos Alcaraz

[Damian]

Alcaraz, Cobolli show off football skills to Bundesliga coaches in Berlin

Spoiler:

Pair will represent Team Europe at the 2024 Laver Cup in German capital

Carlos Alcaraz/Bo Svensson/Flavio Cobolli
© Getty Images

by Andy West

Laver Cup — Sep 18

Carlos Alcaraz and Flavio Cobolli may be in Berlin this week primarily to play tennis, but that didn’t stop the ATP Tour stars from testing their football skills with some local experts on Wednesday afternoon.

Ahead of the 2024 Laver Cup in the German capital, Team Europe’s Alcaraz and Cobolli challenged members of Bundesliga team FC Union Berlin to a game of football and tennis at Uber Arena. Both tennis stars are big football fans: Alcaraz supports Spanish giant Real Madrid, while Italy’s Cobolli is a huge fan of AS Roma.


Alcaraz and Cobolli also visited Berlin’s renowned East Side Gallery in its historic Friedrichshain district, where they swapped football jerseys and Team Europe jackets with their footballing counterparts. The representatives from FC Union Berlin included Head Coach Bo Svensson and co-trainers Babak Keyhanfar and Tijan Njie.

The No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz is the only Laver Cup debutant on Team Europe’s six-man roster at this year’s edition of the teams’ event. Cobolli is in Berlin as an alternate for captain Bjorn Borg’s team, which will take on the Team World roster captained by John McEnroe.

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[Damian]

Alcaraz on ‘privilege’ of spending time with legends Borg, McEnroe, Laver in Berlin

Spoiler:

Spaniard among Borg's Team Europe lineup at Laver Cup

Rod Laver/John McEnroe/Carlos Alcaraz
© Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for Laver Cup

by Andy West

Laver Cup — Sep 19

Team Europe is not messing around when it comes to its latest bid for Laver Cup glory.

Five of the Top 10 players in the PIF ATP Rankings will this year don the blue colours under Bjorn Borg’s leadership at the teams event. Swedish legend Borg, who will captain Team Europe for the seventh and final time, was in a confident mood Thursday in Berlin, where his team aims to reclaim the Laver Cup trophy for the first time since 2021.

“The last two years I was very disappointed, but this year, look at this team,” said Borg at Europe’s pre-tournament press conference. “I don't think we're going to lose this year. This is going to be one of the good years.

“I'm happy to see these guys. Some of the guys have been playing in Laver Cup many times. We have a good atmosphere always, and to be here with all these guys, it's going to be great. It's going to be good tennis, as always, good matches. Team World, it's a tough team, they play really good, they played really good in the US Open. But I think we have a good chance.”


For the first time, Borg will be able to call upon the abilities of Carlos Alcaraz at the Laver Cup. The Spaniard will make his event debut on Friday night in Berlin, where he teams with home favourite Alexander Zverev in the opening doubles clash of the weekend. Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, Grigor Dimitrov and Stefanos Tsitsipas are also on Team Europe’s roster.

Having increased his tally of Grand Slam titles to four by triumphing at Roland Garros and Wimbledon this season, Alcaraz is fast establishing himself as a modern great of the game. The 21-year-old is nonetheless ready to absorb any knowledge he can while in the presence of tennis legends such as Borg, Team World captain John McEnroe, and Rod Laver himself.

“For me it's a privilege to be surrounded by Bjorn, by McEnroe, Rod Laver, the legends from our sport who [reached] the top of the sport," said Alcaraz. "So for me, to just try to learn from them so closely, and obviously here in the Laver Cup, I think it's a really beautiful tournament that I'm going to try to enjoy as much as I can.

“With my partners, we used to fight against each other during the whole tournament. Now in this tournament we're going to cheer on each other. It's going to be a beautiful thing that I'm going to try to enjoy, but I'm going to try to learn from them as well as much as can.”

Alcaraz could turn to his opening doubles partner Zverev for any tips on how to handle the Laver Cup pressure. The German, who has won a Tour-leading 56 matches in 2024, is this year set to compete in his fifth edition of the event appearance, a Team Europe record.

“It is a very special tournament,” said Zverev. “It is very different to maybe the regular tournaments that we play, but I think we should enjoy each other. I think we should enjoy having the best on our team. Normally we see each other at later stages of tournaments, and we want to beat each other, we want to do everything I can to win, and now we are here as a team and we have one goal, and that's to win the Laver Cup.

“It doesn't matter who is on the court. I think we, as a team, we all have full trust in that person. I'm just happy to be part of it.”

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[Art]

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[Nando]

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[Barty]

[Damian]

[Damian]

Alcaraz thrilled to play in front of Federer: 'I wished for that moment for a long time’

Spoiler:

Swiss takes in Laver Cup action in Berlin
September 21, 2024
Carlos Alcaraz and Roger Federer pose for a portrait at the Laver Cup in Berlin.
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for Laver Cup
Carlos Alcaraz and Roger Federer pose for a portrait at the Laver Cup in Berlin.
By ATP Staff
Roger Federer has seen a lot in his career. Friday at the Laver Cup, the Swiss was faced with something new.

Federer watched four-time major champion and No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings Carlos Alcaraz play a match in person for the first time.

The stars had already gotten to know one another during the leadup to the event, chatting at various functions, posing together for a photoshoot and having a nice conversation on the practice court Friday before the Spaniard's match.

But for the first time, 103-time tour-level titlist Federer experienced the Spaniard's game up close when Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev faced Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton in doubles. Fritz and Shelton won the match in straight sets.

You May Also Like: Scores level at Laver Cup after Fritz/Shelton down Alcaraz/Zverev in doubles

Alcaraz reflected on playing a match in front of Federer for the first time, saying: "It was great, honestly, playing in front of him. It's the first time that he watched one of my matches in real life and I'm really happy that he was there watching our doubles.

“I think I'm good [at doubles], but I'm not as good as the singles, I guess. I hope to see him tomorrow in the singles. I hope he enjoyed the doubles match, and obviously it was great seeing him in the practice. He didn't tell me any tactics, any advice. But he just told me that he's really happy about watching me in real life, that I'm here. It was a great time for me. I wished [for] that moment for a long time.”

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[Lucas]

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[Damian]

[Damian]

Alcaraz produced a nearly flawless performance to defeat Shelton 6-4, 6-4, squaring the Laver Cup at 4-4.

“I’m really happy for being part of Team Europe in Laver Cup for the first time,” Alcaraz said. “I’m trying to be as [good] a partner as I can, as [good] a player as I can to help my team. I played against Ben, [who] is a really powerful player, a really tough one. I’m pretty happy because I played a really solid match since the beginning until [the end] of the match.”

You May Also Like: Alcaraz thrilled to play in front of Federer: 'I wished for that moment for a long time’
The Spaniard fell in his Laver Cup debut Friday evening in doubles alongside Alexander Zverev, but bounced back against the big-serving American. In a high-quality clash, Shelton did little wrong. Alcaraz was just slightly better, saving all five break points he faced according to Infosys ATP Stats.

"In the other tournaments I'm obviously playing for myself. When you are playing as a team, you're playing for them as well, so you feel a little bit more the pressure because you feel like you have to win for them," Alcaraz said. "I feel a little bit more the pressure as I said, but at the same I feel more energy having them supporting me behind in the tough moments during the match."

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