Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev secured a commanding win for Team Europe this past Sunday in Boston, overcoming Reilly Opelka and Denis Shapovalov with a score of 6-2, 6-7(4), 10-3. This result gave Team Europe a total of 14-1 points, earning them the 2021 Laver Cup trophy. This marks the fourth consecutive year that Team Europe has taken the title, with Captain Bjorn Borg maintaining a perfect record across the editions in Prague, Chicago, Geneva, and Boston.
Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev clinched a comprehensive win for Team Europe on Sunday after defeating Team World’s Reilly Opelka and Denis Shapovalov 6-2, 6-7(4), 10-3 in Boston. Team Europe secured a 14-1 victory to lift the 2021 Laver Cup. Team Europe has won the title for a fourth consecutive time. Captain of team Europe Bjorn Borg has won all four editions of the Laver Cup – in Prague, Chicago, Geneva, and Boston.
Team Europe started the final day of the competition in a very strong position, requiring just a single victory from the four scheduled bouts to clinch the championship. They wasted no time in finishing the job, winning the opening men's doubles match to establish an unbeatable 14-1 lead.
To keep their hopes alive, Team World needed a perfect run, winning every single match on the final day. However, Opelka and Shapovalov fell short despite fighting back to win the second set. Their struggles began early when the hard-hitting Opelka was broken in the very first game. Things worsened two games later when a double fault from Shapovalov handed over a double break. The duo struggled to find their rhythm and synergy, which proved fatal to their chances of momentum.
The Boston crowd erupted when Opelka finally managed a hold to give Team World a glimmer of hope. The players in red nearly broke back after Rublev hit a high backhand volley, but Opelka showed great resilience, saving three consecutive break points at 2-all in the second set before the pair held serve at 4-3. Opelka and Shapovalov then seized control during a dominant tiebreak to take the second set. However, Rublev stepped up his intensity in the final stretch, creating six championship points with a precise volley, and converted the first one to seal a convincing victory.
Over the three-day tournament, Team Europe was nearly flawless, winning eight of the first nine matches. Their only stumble came in a doubles match where they were defeated by John Isner and Shapovalov. Interestingly, while the previous three titles in 2017, 2018, and 2019 were won with the legendary trio of Federer, Nadal, or Djokovic, this year's victory was achieved without any of those three icons on the court.
Reflecting on the win after the trophy ceremony, Andrey Rublev described the victory as a milestone in his professional journey, stating that it is a moment he will cherish forever. This success follows his previous achievement at the Tokyo Olympics, where he earned a gold medal in mixed doubles with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.