Team Europe jumped out to a 3-1 lead over Team World at the 2026 Laver Cup on Friday, backed by a 1-2 punch from Spain in the night session at the 02 Arena.
20-year-old Rafael Jodar breezed past Alexander Bublik on his Laver Cup debut, 6-2, 6-3, and Carlos Alcaraz paired with Jakub Mensik to take the double point, 6-4, 6-4 over Taylor Fritz and Bublik.
It’s the second consecutive year that Team Europe has led 3-1 after the first day. Last year they ended up falling to Team World, 15-9 in San Francisco.
“I think I played very, very solid and with clear ideas,” Jodar said after his 38th win of the season.
After a feeling out period in which Bublik had a break point in the third game, Jodar took charge and pushed the tempo en route to victory in one hour and 24 minutes.
“I think these four games that I think lasted, like, 30 minutes for both players,” Jodar said, adding: “I think for me really help me to get used to the court and to get in more rhythm and get the break, then serving for the first set.”
Alcaraz and Mensik, playing together for the second year, boast some hard-earned chemistry and it showed as the edged past Fritz and Bublik. Last year Mensik and Alcaraz defeated Alex Michelsen and Taylor Fritz 7-6(7), 6-4.
On Friday that got Fritz again.
“With Carlos, it’s always about good energy,” Mensik said. “I think he’s the guy who is really easy to follow up, not just on the court but off the court. San Francisco when we played, we completed each other pretty well on the court. So it’s pretty good.
“I’m just happy that this year we showed it again.”
In the day session the teams split two matches, with Casper Ruud kicking off the festivities with a 6-7(4), 6-4, 10-8 win, while Brandon Nakashima got Team World’s only point by taking out Mensik in a tight battle, 6-1, 3-6, 10-7.
“It felt amazing out there,” Nakashima, who was also making his Laver Cup debut, said. “First of all, playing in front of the London crowd was amazing, almost a full stadium, and then, you know, being able to go out there and put a point on the board for the team and for the guys, you know, is an unbelievable experience for me.”
Photo Credit: Getty for Laver Cup
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