Carlos Alcaraz was the first person off his seat and onto the court to celebrate with Alexander Zverev after the German clinched the Laver Cup for Team Europe at The O2 in London.
Zverev defeated Learner Tien 7-6 6-3 to seal a 13-5 victory for Team Europe over Team World, avenging their defeat from last year. As soon as Tien's ball sailed wide, confirming European glory, Alcaraz sprang up from the bench before any other team member.
Team-mates despite rivalry
Alcaraz, who this week described Zverev as "probably the best player in the world right now", watched from courtside as the world No. 2 added the Laver Cup to his US and French Open titles this year. The Spaniard could have viewed Zverev's success with envy, but instead showed only positive energy inside The O2.
The pair were quickly joined by Flavio Cobolli, Jakub Mensik, Rafa Jodar and Casper Ruud, along with alternate Arthur Fery and captains Yannick Noah and Tim Henman, starting a celebration set to continue late into the London night.
Team spirit on display
Tennis is often a lonely sport, even in success, with Grand Slam champions typically celebrating alone before joining their team. But at the Laver Cup, Alcaraz demonstrated that rivals can become team-mates, evidenced by his joyous reception of Zverev's match-clinching point.
