Carlos Alcaraz will be making his second appearance at the Laver Cup this year.
Alcaraz has not competed since winning the US Open, after withdrawing from Spain’s Davis Cup tie against Denmark.
Despite Spain beating Denmark, Holger Rune still wants to play doubles with Alcaraz at the Laver Cup this year.
Last year saw Alcaraz make history at the Laver Cup, but he has now admitted he found it a weird experience.
Carlos Alcaraz explains what he found ‘weird’ about playing the Laver Cup
Alcaraz was the star player for Team Europe last year, contributing a record eight points that helped them claim victory in Berlin.
This included the decisive victory, with Alcaraz beating Team World’s Taylor Fritz to officially complete the comeback.
One year later in San Francisco, Alcaraz looks a very different player, especially now with his new blonde hair.
When speaking to LaverCup.com, Alcaraz admitted that he actually found it strange to play alongside players that are usually his rivals, but in a good way.
“It was weird,” admitted Alcaraz. “My rivals, one week ago I was fighting against them on the tennis court, and now they were my teammates.
“But I loved it. I loved the energy, the atmosphere. We’re all together just to try to bring the Cup to Europe. To get to know them off the court, as well, was a great experience for me. I couldn’t miss it this year.”
Alcaraz often speaks about his love for playing golf, and the Laver Cup has many similarities to the Ryder Cup.
Carlos Alcaraz reveals if he always knew he was going to be a top player
Alcaraz is the world number one again after winning his sixth Grand Slam title at the US Open, but it appears that he did not always believe this was his destiny.
When asked if he always thought he would be a top player on the ATP Tour, Alcaraz admitted that there were a lot of better players than him as a junior.
“I didn’t know, to be honest,” said Alcaraz. “A lot of players, when I was 13, 14 years old, were better than me. A lot of players achieved more than I did. But, for me, tennis was everything. It was my life. It was just in my head to at least try it. I just wanted to try to be professional.”
Despite these claims, Alcaraz did actually gain his first ATP point at 14 years old and hired Juan Carlos Ferrero as his coach two years later.
Alcaraz won his first ATP match at 16 years old, and there has been no looking back for the Spaniard since then.
In his first tournament since the US Open, Alcaraz will look to showcase why he is at the top of the ATP rankings when he takes on Team World in the Laver Cup.
The 2025 edition of the Laver Cup will take place between September, 19-21.
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