Andre Agassi was in a playful mood Andre Agassi watching his Team World lose the 2026 Laver Cup to Team Europe at London's O2 Arena on Sunday, with the American legend taking an opportunity to poke fun at Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz.
Zverev sealed a sixth Laver Cup for Europe with a straight-sets victory over Learner Tien, reclaiming the title Team World won in San Francisco a year earlier.
Europe had earned themselves three chances to win the tournament during the final round of singles matches, which they took at the first opportunity thanks to Zverev's win.
Alcaraz was set to play Alex de Minaur next had Zverev not beaten Tien but the Spaniard was not required for his final match after beating Taylor Fritz on Saturday and winning Friday's doubles contest alongside Jakub Mensik against Fritz and Alexander Bublik.
Alcaraz had a four-month injury lay-off and missed the Roland-Garros and Wimbledon Grand Slams as a result, before returning to the US Open earlier this month, where he exited at the quarter-final stage.
"How great is it to have Carlito back in the house? My man! We missed you! The game really missed you," Agassi said before Europe were awarded the Laver Cup trophy.
"In real time, I was missing you. I was praying every day that your wrist would get better somewhere in October… not before this weekend."
Former world No. 1 Agassi also took the opportunity to make some fun of Zverev, who made the most of Alcaraz's absence from the circuit this year to claim his first Grand Slam titles at the French and US Open.
"Congratulations, Sascha on a crazy year," he said. "Seeing you win [a Grand Slam] for the first time, I know how important that was for you.
"It was important for me too, because I can start watching your press conferences again where you’re not like. ‘Why do I always lose? Why do I always lose? I’m the third best in the world [pretending to cry].
"But then you win and then it’s like, ‘I’m only a one-slam champion; I’ve got to do it again.'"
Zverev laughed off Agassi's comments, which went down well with the London crowd, before joining his team-mates on stage to lift the Laver Cup.
Following his win, Zverev - who has featured at more Laver Cups than anyone else - made an admission about the current state of men's tennis after enjoying another team campaign.
"Winning as a team, there is no better feeling in sports," he said.
"We don’t have enough of it in tennis, being among these great players that I normally see across the net every week, and playing alongside two great captains, Yannick [Noah] and Tim [Henman].
"It’s just fun being out here."
- BEN SOUTHBY
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