Inspired by Andre Agassi’s livewire courtside presence, Taylor Fritz held his nerve to beat Alexander Zverev and complete a 15-9 victory for Team World against Team Europe in the Laver Cup.
Team World led 12-9 going into the penultimate tie between the American and German.
With three points for a win, world number three Zverev could have levelled the match, but fifth-ranked Fritz won 6-3 7-6 (7-4) at the event in San Francisco.
He said the team environment and encouragement from captain and compatriot Agassi had inspired him to the title-clinching victory, and promised there would be big celebrations ahead.
“We’re going to have a fun night. We’re definitely popping champagne in the locker room in a few minutes,” said Fritz, who beat world number one Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday when Team World built a 9-3 overnight lead.
“The energy from the team… the moments of winning feel so much better and the moments of losing feel so much worse. You’re doing it for all these guys. It fires me up so much. I always feel I play my best tennis in team environments.”
The victory gave Team World a third win in the eight editions of the Laver Cup following their victories in 2022 and 2023.
