Brandon Nakashima absolutely came out swinging in his Laver Cup debut, snagging Team World’s first point of the 2026 competition and instantly leveling the score in London!
Team Europe Landed The First Punch, But It Wasn’t Easy
Team Europe definitely landed the first blow, though, with Casper Ruud grinding out a tough win against Team World’s Francisco Cerundolo. This wasn’t a walk in the park for the World No.17, not by a long shot! Ruud had to battle for two grueling hours, coming back from a set down to claim victory via a 10-point tiebreak with a final score of 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 10-8. You could hardly separate those two on the court! This was a rematch from 2024 where Cerundolo actually handed Ruud his only Laver Cup singles loss with a solid 6-4, 6-4 victory. So, for Team Europe, that first point was crucial, but it took everything Ruud had to get it done. The tension was palpable right from the jump, and you just knew Team World had to respond.
Nakashima’s Instant Impact Set The Tone
And respond they did! Just last week, Brandon Nakashima was drafted in to replace Ben Shelton, making his Laver Cup debut, and let me tell you, if he had any nerves, he hid them perfectly. He tore into Jakub Mensik in the second match, winning the first five games on the spin! Mensik had zero answers in that opening set, which Nakashima snatched 6-1 in a blistering 23 minutes. Team World captain Andre Agassi must’ve been pumped to see that kind of ferocity! But Mensik wasn’t going down easy. He steadied the ship, grabbed an early break to lead 2-0 in the second set, and started ripping off some stunning forehand winners that had Team Europe captain Yannick Noah practically jumping out of his seat with excitement. Mensik forced a match-deciding tiebreak, making everyone hold their breath. But Nakashima, showing incredible composure for a debutant, held his nerve in that 10-point tie-break, ultimately closing it out 6-1, 3-6, 10-7. What a win!
With Nakashima’s clutch performance, Team World is now firmly on the board, and the momentum in London feels like it’s shifting. Tonight’s evening session is going to be absolutely wild! Rafael Jodar from Team Europe is set to take on Alexander Bublik from Team World in singles. Then, Bublik is back on court, teaming up with Taylor Fritz for the first doubles match, facing off against Europe’s Jakub Mensik and Carlos Alcaraz. The competition is heating up, and every point from here on out is going to be massive!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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