De Minaur recovers from match point as Team World feed off Andre Agassi’s energy at Laver Cup

Alex de Minaur recovered from match point down to beat Alexander Zverev at the Laver Cup on 26 September 2026, with captain Andre Agassi audible and animated from the Team World bench; Carlos Alcaraz also saved match points to even the tie before doubles moved the score. The day ended with Team Europe holding a narrow lead.

De Minaur trailed early against Zverev, losing the first set and falling a break behind before Zverev served for the match at 6-2, 5-4; the Australian later faced a match point at 8-9 in the deciding tie-break but won 2-6, 7-6 (5), 11-9. Agassi’s sideline encouragement punctuated the match, at one point shouting “Check his oil! Check his oil!” as De Minaur mounted his comeback.

With Team Europe 3-1 ahead overnight, Learner Tien opened day two for Team World by defeating Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 2-6, 10-7. While match wins were worth one point on Friday, they were worth two on Saturday, meaning the afternoon results carried increased weight in the overall scoring.

Carlos Alcaraz produced a late save of two match points to beat Taylor Fritz 6-3, 4-6, 13-11, a victory that levelled the series at 5-5 before the doubles rubber. The match required an extended deciding tie-break, with Alcaraz delivering under pressure to keep Team World in contention.

Casper Ruud and Alexander Zverev combined to beat Alexander Bublik and Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 7-6 (7) in the doubles, a result that swung the day back in Team Europe’s favour. That win helped Team Europe finish the session with a narrow 7-5 lead over Team World.

Agassi’s reappearance in the sport has been conspicuous since his appointment as Team World captain in February; he has worked for TNT Sports at Roland Garros and joined the BBC’s commentary team at this year’s Wimbledon, and he is currently managed by Justin Gimelstob. His interactions on the bench included an exuberant exchange with De Minaur after the match — De Minaur ran to Agassi shouting, “You like that? You like that?” to which Agassi replied, “I love it. I love it.” De Minaur ended the match with blood on his knee after a diving forehand, prompting Agassi to say, “I wanna lick that blood off you right now.” After Learner Tien’s victory Agassi stayed to offer tactical advice and told Tien, “Dude, I’ll carry this shit for you if you want me to,” adding, “That’s how much respect I have [for you].”

Team Europe closed the day with a 7-5 lead over Team World, leaving the tie finely poised going into the next session of the Laver Cup.