Carlos Alcaraz hails Alexander Zverev as 'world's best player'
What's the story
Carlos Alcaraz has hailed his fellow tennis star Alexander Zverev as "probably the world's best player at the moment" ahead of the impending Laver Cup in London. The two top-ranked players will be key to Team Europe's hopes of reclaiming the trophy after a disappointing campaign last year. Zverev arrives at the event on a high, having won the US Open title and Roland Garros this year.
Team dynamics
Alcaraz aims to match Zverev's pace
Alcaraz and Zverev will join forces for Team Europe against Team World at the 2026 Laver Cup.
Alcaraz, currently ranked No. 2, was out for over four months with a wrist injury before competing at the US Open.
The Spaniard hopes to match Zverev's pace and support him as much as possible during the competition.
The duo trained together on Tuesday and could even play doubles if their team pairs them together.
Player endorsement
'Having Alexander on our team great': Alcaraz
Alcaraz expressed his confidence in Zverev's abilities, calling him "the best player in the world."
He said, "Having Alexander on our team is obviously great. As he said, and I agree, he is probably the world's best player at the moment."
"Hopefully, we can achieve a great result, and I'm going to cheer him up as much as I can," added the Spaniard.
Form
Zverev's phenomenal year
While Alcaraz lost to Ben Shelton in the US Open quarterfinals, Zverev scripted history after winning the cup in New York. The latter overcame Ben Shelton in four sets at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
This was Zverev's third Grand Slam final of the season, having also won the French Open. He lost to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final.
Zverev earlier reached the Australian Open semifinal. His 2026 Major win-loss tally reads 25-2.