Auger-Aliassime, Sock, Tiafoe rise up on final day to lift Team World to first Laver Cup title

Team World was down 8-4 to Team Europe going into the final of day of play at the Laver Cup in London—and they had lost to them in all four previous editions of the international team competition—but heroics from Felix Auger-Aliassime, Jack Sock and ultimately Frances Tiafoe on Sunday lifted them to victory for the very first time.

Tiafoe clinched Team World’s first ever Laver Cup title with a dramatic 1-6, 7-6 (11), 10-8 victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas, fighting off an incredible four match points in the second set tie-break before closing it out in a match tie-break in the third set.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Tiafoe said. “Our captain, Johnny Mac, was tired of losing. He was dropping a lot of f-bombs saying we needed to get it done this year. Fifth try. I was saying all week leading up that this was our year. And yeah, guys showed up. Felix beat Novak today, Jack and Felix also played unbelievable doubles today, and we all did it together—it wasn’t just me. This is big. We’re going to celebrate big tonight.”

Tiafoe has now won his last 12 tie-breaks in a row on the tour—he won all eight tie-breaks he played at the US Open a few weeks ago, a tournament record, both of the ones he and Sock played in their emotional 4-6, 7-6 (2), 11-9 victory over Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup two nights ago, and two more today.

“I don’t know, It looks like I’ve got that clutch game right now,” the US Open semifinalist said. “Last couple of tournaments I’m playing in packed stadiums, I’m just competing really hard and just enjoying it, getting the crowd on my side and just having fun with it.

"I feel like a kid out here, just competing and playing the game I love.”

Before Tiafoe clinched the 13-8 victory for Team World, it was his teammates who put him within striking distance, flipping an 8-4 deficit after Day 2 to a 10-8 lead.

First, Auger-Aliassime and Sock took out Matteo Berrettini and Andy Murray in a doubles match, 2-6, 6-3, 10-8, with Sock improving to 9-3 in his career in Laver Cup doubles matches after that one. And then, Auger-Aliassime pulled off a surprise 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory over Novak Djokovic, who had won back-to-back matches for Team Europe the night before—including a blistering 6-1, 6-3 victory over Tiafoe—but was visibly struggling with a right wrist injury throughout the match the day after.

Nonetheless Auger-Aliassime recorded his second huge result in a team competition with the victory, having taken out No. 1-ranked Carlos Alcaraz in Davis Cup last week, and gave Team World a crucial lead going into the Tiafoe-Tsitsipas match.

“The perfect scenario, perfect day,” the Canadian said. “It all started with the doubles. We came in, tough first set, but we lifted our belief, we lifted our energy. The group of guys behind me is the best guys, so we really believed in each other, lifted each other.

“And then, yeah, I zoned in, I locked in in the singles and played one of my best matches I’ve played so far in my career, so I’m really happy to get the overall win.”

Team World’s other points from the weekend came from Australia’s Alex de Minaur (earning one point on Friday for his victory over Murray) and American No. 1 Taylor Fritz (earning two points on Saturday for his win over Cam Norrie).

The four previous years saw Team Europe record a 15-9 win in Prague in 2017, a 13-8 win in Chicago in 2018, a 13-11 win in Geneva in 2019 and a 14-1 victory in Boston in 2021.