Team World Vice-Captain Aims to “Devise a Game Plan” that Will Stop Carlos Alcaraz at the Laver Cup

Carlos Alcaraz has not lost a match on tour this season since the Wimbledon Championships final in July.

Team World Vice-Captain Aims to “Devise a Game Plan” that Will Stop Carlos Alcaraz at the Laver Cup

Carlos Alcaraz (via the US Open)

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Team World Vice-Captain Pat Rafter has admitted that he and his team are seeking ways to stop Carlos Alcaraz from playing his best game at the Laver Cup. This comes just hours before the tournament kicks off on Friday (September 19) in San Francisco. Team World is bidding to win the illustrious Cup for just the third time.

Alcaraz has been a dominant force in the ATP this season, particularly at the Grand Slam and Masters 1000 events. He has been the best player in the men’s circuit since April, winning two Grand Slams and three ATP 1000 titles. Also, he and his rival Jannik Sinner have won the past eight major tournaments.

Alcaraz is a two-time champion at the French Open, US Open, and Wimbledon, while Sinner is a two-time champion at the Australian Open, US Open, and one-time at Wimbledon. That now leaves Alcaraz with just a shot at achieving a Career Grand Slam next year in Melbourne. Besides that, Alcaraz has been the most consistent player on tour this season.

At the Laver Cup, he’s expected to lead Team Europe to a second consecutive victory. He did last year in Berlin, where he defeated Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, and Taylor Fritz, earning 8 of Team Europe’s 13 points in the tournament. His only loss at the tournament was in the doubles match alongside Alexander Zverev against Shelton and Fritz.

Pat Rafter praised Alcaraz for his dominance in the ATP Tour this season during his press conference at the Laver Cup. The former World No.1, who also claimed the US Open twice added that Team World will have to devise a game plan that will stop Alcaraz from being at his best on the court:

He is at his peak. He dominates world tennis alongside Sinner, but we know our players can surprise anyone, especially in a format like this, with two sets and a super tiebreak in the third. We must devise a game plan and carefully analyze what we can do to counter his power. He’s a fierce tennis player, and we trust that he hasn’t fully recovered from his vacation week.

From September 19 to 21, Rafter will work together with Team World captain Andre Agassi at the Laver Cup. This is the first time that the two former players will be in charge of Team World at the tournament. Currently, Team Europe leads Team World in their head-to-head title record at the tournament, 5-2.

Carlos Alcaraz happy that he attracts fans to his matches on tour

Carlos Alcaraz holds a remarkable win-loss record of 61-6 so far this season, winning seven titles. He took his career title tally to 23 at the US Open in New York, after defeating Jannik Sinner in four sets in the final. It was the third consecutive Grand Slam final for Alcaraz and the fifth in just two years in the men’s circuit.

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K)

He has often been compared with his idol, Rafael Nadal, on the court and sometimes placed above the 39-year-old. Also, the 22-year-old always attracts supporters at each tournament he competes in. The Laver Cup will not be an exception and he revealed during his press conference that he enjoys fans coming to watch him:

I’m thinking about myself, about enjoying as much as I can every time that I step on the court, and that I go to the tournaments. I love it when I see people enjoying watching tennis. For me, that’s the most important feeling. That’s all I try to do.

Alcaraz is going to kick off his 2025 Laver Cup campaign on Friday (September 19). He’s going to play the doubles alongside Miami Open champion Jakub Mensik against Team World’s Taylor Fritz and Alex Michelsen.

Also Read: Roger Federer Admits Missing Tennis a Lot Ahead of Laver Cup: “I Would Have Loved to Play”