Laver Cup curse: 5 players from star-studded event crash out a week later at Japan Open ft. Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe
Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, and other big stars from the 2024 Laver Cup had a horrid time at the Japan Open. Several players from both Team World and Team Europe competed at the Japan Open and endured shock first-round exits.
The 2024 Laver Cup concluded on September 22, with Carlos Alcaraz-led Team Europe emerging as the winner. After the conclusion of the star-studded event, all the players made the arduous journey from Berlin to Asia to kick off their 2024 Asian swing.
Six players from the 2024 Laver Cup, including Taylor Fritz, reached Tokyo to compete in the Japan Open, which began on September 25, and five of them unceremoniously bowed out of the tournament in the first round. Only Ben Shelton, the defending champion, managed to win his first-round contest against Reilly Opelka from a set down.
Here are the other five players from the 2024 Laver Cup who lost in the first round of the Japan Open.
#5 Alejandro Tabilo
Alejandro Tabilo made his Laver Cup debut for Team World this year in Berlin. On the back of a breakthrough season that saw him lift two tour-level titles (Auckland and Mallorca), Tabilo played two matches at the Laver Cup. He teamed up with Ben Shelton for a doubles contest and emerged victorious but lost his singles match against Grigor Dimitrov.
At the 2024 Japan Open, the Chilean No. 1 faced sixth seed Holger Rune in the opening round. Rune easily took a set advantage, but Tabilo struck back at the end of the second set to force a decider. The Dane wrapped the contest neatly in the third set with a solitary break of Tabilo's serve and won the match 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
#4 Casper Ruud
Casper Ruud played at the Laver Cup for the fourth time in his career in 2024. Competing for Team Europe, the Norwegian lost to Francisco Cerundolo in his only singles match. His record was slightly better in the doubles, losing with Stefanos Tsitsipas but winning a match with Carlos Alcaraz.
Ruud was seeded third in the 2024 Japan Open and began his campaign against Jordan Thompson. This was the third tour-level meeting between the duo this year alone. Thompson defeated Ruud in the final of the Los Cabos Open while the latter emerged victorious in their tie at the Barcelona Open.
In Tokyo, the Australian once again dominated an out-of-sorts Ruud over two sets. Thompson took the first set via a tiebreaker and closed out the match in that second set, 7-6 (5), 6-1, via two breaks of Ruud's serve.
#3 Stefanos Tsitsipas
Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas was on fire in his first singles contest at the 2024 Laver Cup against Team World's Thanasi Kokkinakis. However, he suffered a crushing loss in the doubles match alongside Casper Ruud. Tsitsipas headed to Tokyo in search of form after a disappointing North American hardcourt swing.
His luck did not turn around at the Japan Open either. Seeded fourth, Tsitsipas came up against Alex Michelsen and took the first set in convincing fashion. However, his form dipped significantly and provided his young American rival an opportunity to stage a comeback. Michelsen did just that, losing only three games over the next two sets to register his third top 20 win, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
#2 Frances Tiafoe
American star Frances Tiafoe was heavily involved in Team World's campaign at the 2024 Laver Cup. Tiafoe played two singles matches, beating Daniil Medvedev and losing to Alexander Zverev. He also lost his doubles match alongside Ben Shelton on the tournament's final day.
Tiafoe has been on fire on the 2024 ATP Tour of late, finishing runners-up at the Cincinnati Open (lost to Jannik Sinner) and reaching the semifinals at the US Open (lost to Taylor Fritz). At the Japan Open, he was seeded seventh and faced a stern test against Brandon Nakashima.
Despite taking a break advantage midway through the first set, Tiafoe was unable to hold on to the lead and Nakashima came back to take a one-set lead. In the second set, Nakashima was much more composed, and a single break of Tiafoe's serve was enough for him to win the match 7-5, 6-3.
#1 Taylor Fritz
Taylor Fritz headlined Team World at the 2024 Laver Cup after reaching his maiden Grand Slam final at the 2024 US Open. The American continued his excellent form in Berlin, winning the doubles tie with Tiafoe and beating Zverev in a singles contest. However, in the final and deciding match of the tournament, Fritz lost to Carlos Alcaraz.
The American then headed to Tokyo for the 2024 Japan Open, where he was the No. 1 seed. Fritz faced rising Frenchman Arthur Fils in the opening contest at the ATP 500 tournament and was pushed to three sets.
Fils broke Fritz once to take the one-set advantage, but the American restored parity in the second set. In the decider, Fils shifted gears to once again break Taylor Fritz's serve and closed out the match 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.