SoCal Duo Makes Laver Cup History:
Fritz and Michelsen Represent Team World in 2025

For the first time in the history of the Laver Cup, two players with Southern California roots will represent Team World on one of tennis’ grandest stages. World No. 5 Taylor Fritz (Rancho Santa Fe) and rising star Alex Michelsen (Aliso Viejo), currently ranked No. 32, have both been selected to compete in the 2025 edition of the tournament, which runs from September 19 through 21 at the Chase Center in San Francisco. This year’s event marks the first time the Laver Cup has been held in California, an added layer of significance for the two SoCal natives now representing their section and country on a global stage.

Laver Cup Overview

Launched in 2017, the Laver Cup is a unique and prestigious men’s team tennis tournament that pits six of the best players from Europe against six from the rest of the world in three days of competition. Unlike other events on the ATP calendar, the Laver Cup puts individual rivalries on hold for a one-of-a-kind weekend centered on team strategy and national pride. The tournament is named in honor of Rod Laver, the Australian great who remains the only player in history to have completed the calendar-year Grand Slam twice, first in 1962, and again in 1969. Fittingly, Laver has called Southern California home since the 1960s. After moving to the United States, he first settled in Rancho Mirage, later lived in Corona del Mar and near Santa Barbara, and now resides in Carlsbad.

While the tournament doesn’t offer ATP ranking points, it carries immense prestige and offers a $250,000 prize for each player on the winning team. Matches are played on an indoor hardcourt, with the location alternating each year between a European city and a city from the rest of the world. This year’s event marks only the third time the Laver Cup has taken place in the United States, following past editions in cities such as Prague, Chicago, Geneva, Boston, London, Vancouver, and Berlin. Over its seven-year history, Team Europe sits atop the overall leaderboard with five wins, while Team World has just two. 

Tournament Format and Scoring

The Laver Cup is held annually over three days each September, running from Friday to Sunday, with four matches played daily including three singles and one doubles. The stakes escalate each day, as victories earn one point on Friday, two points on Saturday, and three points on Sunday. The first team to reach 13 points is declared the champion.

What makes the event even more intriguing are its specific player requirements and limitations. Every player on the six-man roster must compete in at least one singles match during the first two days, while at least four players are required to participate in doubles, with no doubles pairing repeated except in a deciding match on Day 3 if the score is tied at 12-all. These rules add a layer of strategic complexity, making lineup decisions especially critical for each team’s captain.

New Leadership in 2025

This year marks a new chapter in Laver Cup leadership, as longtime captains Björn Borg (Team Europe) and John McEnroe (Team World) have stepped aside after leading their respective teams since 2017. Taking on these roles are two legends of the sport, Yannick Noah who now leads Team Europe and Andre Agassi who has been appointed captain of Team World. Their duties encompass player selection, daily lineups, match preparation, and providing on-court coaching throughout the matches. Supporting Noah as Vice Captain is Tim Henman, while Patrick Rafter serves as Vice Captain for Team World.

Team Rosters and Selection Criteria

Players are selected based on ATP rankings as of the Monday following Roland-Garros, with the top three eligible players from each region earning automatic qualification. If a player declines the invitation, the next-highest-ranked eligible player is selected. Each captain is also given three discretionary selections, known as Captain’s Picks.

This year, Team World features Fritz, Alex De Minaur (No. 8), Francisco Cerundolo (No. 21), Michelsen,  João Fonseca (No. 42), and Reilly Opelka (No. 62), with Jenson Brooksby (No. 86) serving as the alternate. Originally, American stars Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul were slated to compete, but both withdrew due to injury. Frances Tiafoe was also a late scratch, replaced by De Minaur.

Team Europe counters with a stacked lineup led by newly crowned US Open champion and current World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz. Joining him are Alexander Zverev (No. 3), Holger Rune (No. 11), Casper Ruud (No. 12), Jakub Mensik (No. 17), and Flavio Cobolli (No. 25), with Tomáš Macháč (No. 22) as the alternate.

Friday Matchups and Strategy

Lineups for Day 1 were revealed during Thursday’s Opening Night Gala. Friday’s action begins at 1 PM with Opelka taking on Ruud in singles, followed by Michelsen facing Mensik. The night session opens at 7 PM with Fonseca squaring off against Cobolli, and concludes with a highly anticipated doubles match featuring the SoCal tandem of Fritz and Michelsen against the European duo of Alcaraz and Mensik.

This setup ensures that the highest-ranked stars from both teams—Fritz, De Minaur, and Cerundolo for Team World, and Alcaraz, Zverev, and Rune for Team Europe—will debut in singles action on Saturday, when matches are worth two points apiece.

As hosts, Team World has the option to decide whether to submit their Saturday lineup first or wait for Team Europe to reveal theirs. Whichever team nominates first must do so within 30 minutes of the previous night session ending, after which the opposing team has 30 minutes to respond with their matchups. This continues into Sunday, but with the roles reversed.

Southern California Stars Take Center Court

Taylor Fritz enters his fifth Laver Cup as the most experienced member of Team World. He was instrumental in Team World’s back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023, and should the team prevail again this year, Fritz would become the first Team World player to win the event three times. As the highest-ranked player not from Europe, Fritz earned his place via direct qualification. He arrives in San Francisco fresh off a quarterfinal appearance at the 2025 US Open, where he fell to Novak Djokovic in four sets. Now, he’s looking to finish the year strong and lead his team to another title.

For Alex Michelsen, the 2025 Laver Cup signifies a career milestone. Making his debut in his home state, Michelsen becomes only the second Southern California native, after Fritz, to ever compete in the event. His selection reflects a breakthrough year, highlighted by his rise from No. 40 in the world rankings at the end of 2024 to a career-high No. 30 in 2025, cementing his status as one of tennis’s most promising young stars. Michelsen’s performance will be crucial to Team World’s success, as he’s already slated to compete in both singles and doubles on Friday.

Looking Ahead

With home-court advantage on their side, Team World is in a strong position to contend for its third title in the past four years. As the competition heats up over the weekend, all eyes will be on the Southern California duo of Fritz and Michelsen, who now carry both regional pride and international expectations into one of the sport’s most electric team events.