The Laver Cup returns to The O2 in London on Friday, four years after Roger Federer played the last match of his career there, with Team World defending the title they won 15-9 in San Francisco last year. Carlos Alcaraz starts on Friday night in doubles, and Alexander Zverev is not in Friday's lineup.

A wrist injury kept Alcaraz out for five months, and his return at the US Open ended in a quarter-final defeat by Ben Shelton, 7-6 in the fifth set. London is his first event since, and the start of the run-in to his Australian Open title defence. Zverev won Roland-Garros in June and the US Open this month. He has scored more Laver Cup points than anyone and clinched the title for Team Europe in 2018 and 2019, but last year Taylor Fritz beat him in the match that won it for Team World.

Alcaraz practised with Zverev on the black Laver Cup court this week, and said that after missing out on lifting the trophy last year he would do whatever it took to win it back.

He's probably the best player in the world right now.

Carlos Alcaraz on Zverev, at The O2 this week

Friday's order of play

Casper Ruud opens against Francisco Cerúndolo at 13:00 UK time, a rematch of Cerúndolo's win in Berlin in 2024, still Ruud's only Laver Cup singles defeat. Jakub Menšík then plays Brandon Nakashima, at a career-high world No. 16, who beat him in Washington this summer.

The night session at 19:00 starts with world No. 14 Rafael Jódar against Alexander Bublik, two debutants who have never met. Alcaraz and Menšík, Team Europe's opening doubles pair for a second year running, then face Bublik and Fritz.

Three new faces for Team World

Jódar is the only newcomer in Yannick Noah's side, which returns five of last year's six. Andre Agassi has three: Bublik, Learner Tien and Nakashima, who replaced Shelton after the US Open runner-up withdrew to rest following his run in New York and the Davis Cup tie in Prague. The Laver Cup announced on 12 September that Cerúndolo would replace Tommy Paul, who had withdrawn while recovering from an elbow injury sustained at the US Open.

How Friday shapes Saturday

Wins are worth one point on Friday, two on Saturday and three on Sunday, and the first team to 13 of the 24 available points takes the trophy. Every player must play singles on one of the first two days, so barring a change to either squad, Team Europe's three singles on Saturday go to Alcaraz, Zverev and Flavio Cobolli, and Team World's to Fritz, Alex de Minaur and Tien. Team Europe, as hosts, chose to name their lineup first.

Team Europe have won five of the eight editions, but Team World have won three of the last four, including their first, at The O2 in 2022. Noah was beaten in his first year as captain.

I don't want to get used to losing to Andre.

Yannick Noah, Team Europe captain, at The O2 on Tuesday

Agassi expects his side to be playing uphill again, and called that the fun part of the sport.

The 10th edition moves to the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, from 24 to 26 September 2027.