Both players withdrew from the Canadian Open and are now ready to kick off their US hard-court seasons in Cincinnati.<\/p>\n
Following the swing is the eighth edition of the Laver Cup<\/a>, which will be held in San Francisco later this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n The 2024 champion was Team Europe, of which Alcaraz<\/a> was a part of in his debut at the event.<\/p>\n In his pre-tournament press conference in Cincinnati, Alcaraz said of his first time at the Laver Cup: \u201cI think it surprised me a lot, the first year that I played there.<\/p>\n \u201cI loved it. I just really wanted to be part of the Laver Cup again. The atmosphere that I lived there was special.<\/p>\n \u201cYou get to know the players much better off the court. For me it was great. The intensity that we played the matches is pretty high, and I loved the format.<\/p>\n \u201cPlaying singles, playing doubles, just to be there on the bench, coaching them and supporting them really closely.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s something that is great for tennis and the fans to see how the tennis players, we see tennis from the outside.<\/p>\n \u201cSo I think it\u2019s a great point of view and I\u2019m excited about playing again. I think it\u2019s great for tennis having this event.\u201d<\/p>\n Carlos Alcaraz\u2019s results in his debut at the Laver Cup <\/p>\n Alcaraz lost his opening match at the Laver Cup in 2024, when he was partnered with Alexander Zverev<\/a> in doubles. <\/p>\n He clinched his first singles win at the tournament against Ben Shelton<\/a>, defeating the American in straight sets. <\/p>\n In his second doubles match, Alcaraz teamed up with Casper Ruud, and the two emerged victorious over Team World\u2019s duo of US compatriots Shelton and Frances Tiafoe.<\/p>\n![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2172846940-1024x677.jpg\")
Photo by Clive Brunskill\/Getty Images for Laver CupWhat surprised Carlos Alcaraz in his Laver Cup debut<\/p>\n