Carlos Alcaraz was in near-unstoppable form as he helped Team Europe beat Team World to Laver Cup success.
John McEnroe wanted Alcaraz to play ‘terribly’ at the Laver Cup, with the Team World captain knowing just how deadly the Spaniard could be.
McEnroe got his way on day one as Alcaraz lost his doubles match with Alexander Zverev to Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton.
But he recovered with Casper Ruud to defeat Shelton and Frances Tiafoe, before singles wins over Shelton and Fritz.
Alcaraz finished his Laver Cup debut with eight points, having secured five in the singles and three in the doubles.
Carlos Alcaraz breaks Laver Cup record as Team Europe win in Berlin
Roger Federer watched Alcaraz at the Laver Cup, with the latter now following in the footsteps of the former in producing a lethal display for Team Europe at the event.
The Spanish star has, however, gone a step further, with Alcaraz’s eight points in Berlin the most a player has earned for his team in a single edition of the Laver Cup, as per OptaAce.
Carlos Alcaraz takes over from Roger Federer at the Laver Cup
Federer was, of course, once the main man for Team Europe at the Laver Cup, with the Swiss icon having won three of his four tournaments.
He retired with a 6-0 record from his singles matches, having won 18 points for Team Europe over the years.
But Alcaraz is now very much the man of the moment, with the Spaniard helping captain Bjorn Borg leave his role on a high.
Team World’s Shelton also had a tournament to be proud of, with the American star winning six points for his team.
But it still doesn’t come close to Alcaraz’s efforts, with the world number three having won eight of his side’s 13 points overall.
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