Alcaraz cannot avoid, upon meeting Zverev again, asking him about his lapse in the US Open
Carlos Alcaraz held his first training session this Tuesday at the O2 in London, where this weekend he will compete in the Laver Cup, the exhibition tournament organized by Roger Federer that pits teams from Europe and the Rest of the World against each other.
The European team, captained by Yannick Noah, will be made up of Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud, Rafa Jódar, Jakub Mensik and Flavio Cobolli. The Rest of the World team, captained by Andre Agassi, is made up of Taylor Fritz, Alex de Miñaur, Brandon Nakashima, Alexander Bublik, Learner Tien and Francisco Cerúndolo.
Alcaraz, who keeps the compression cuff on his right arm as a result of the right wrist injury he suffered in April during the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, was accompanied by his team and also had time to greet and congratulate Alexander Zverev, who will be one of his teammates this weekend and is the current US Open champion after beating Ben Shelton in the final, the tennis player who eliminated the Murcian.
And like every neighbor’s son would do, ‘Carlitos’ couldn’t stop himself from asking Zverev what was going through his head when he got lost in the final of the US Open and didn’t realize that he had won the match. The conversation has been revealed by a video from an amateur who captured the moment between the two Grand Slam champions.
Both players met on a training court at the 02 Arena and, in reference to winning their second Grand Slam, Carlos asked the German: “How does it feel?”, to which he replied: “You tell me.”
Then the brief conversation went directly to the great moment in the final when the player from Hamburg did not realize that he had already won the New York tournament. “Tell me what you were thinking… I was watching it at home and I couldn’t believe it,” Carlos tells him.
“Absolutely nothing in my head. That’s what helps, you know? When you’re dumb, it helps” (ridss). “I thought we were 4-1, that’s why I wasn’t nervous at all. If it had been 5-2, I’d be very nervous! I thought I was 5-2,” the tennis player recalled with laughter and good vibes.
In addition to Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Rafael Jódar and Casper Ruud also trained this Tuesday on the London track.
Compliments to Zverev
At the end of his training, Alcaraz explained in the mixed zone that “it’s my first time in London this year, so I’m really looking forward to it. It’s also the first time I’ve played at the O2 and it has been a very special moment.”
This will be the third time that Alcaraz participates with the European team. They won in 2024, but lost in 2025. “I missed lifting the title last year; I will do everything I can to get it back. It’s going to be a great test for me.”
And after the brief meeting at the beginning of training, the Spaniard was full of praise for Zverev: “He is the best tennis player in the world right now. Alex is going to be a great weapon. I am going to try to help as much as I can,” he assured.
