Carlos Alcaraz and doubles partner Jakub Mensik gave Team Europe a 3-1 lead over Team World after the opening day of the Laver Cup on Friday.

Alcaraz and Mensik beat Alexander Bublik and Taylor Fritz 6-4 6-4 in the final match of the day at the O2 Arena in London.

Rafael Jodar had broken a 1-1 deadlock after the day session by defeating Bublik 6-2 6-3 in the evening’s singles match.

In the day session, Brandon Nakashima made the most of his Laver Cup debut by beating Mensik 6-1 3-6 10-7.

In the event’s opener, Casper Ruud beat Francisco Cerundolo 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 10-8 to give Europe an early lead.
There are four matches per day in the three-day event.

The 16th-ranked Nakashima was a late addition to Andre Agassi’s roster after US Open runner-up Ben Shelton withdrew last week.

Following the completion of the opening day, Alcaraz said: “I’m just trying to have fun in every place that I go and on every court that I play on.

“I don’t usually play doubles. I just ​try to enjoy and be better at things. I use doubles to try and improve my ⁠tennis, a couple of adjustments. Having a partner like Jakub, ⁠it’s really easy to have fun on the court.”

Wins are worth one point on Friday, two points on Saturday and three points on Sunday. The first team to reach 13 points wins.

Europe have won the Laver Cup five times while Team World won their third title in last year’s edition of the Ryder Cup-style event.

Stream tennis with no contract on NOW and the Sky Sports App. Watch the Laver Cup at The O2 in London from 25-27 September live on Sky Sports.

Dana White, one of the most powerful figures in combat sport, has reaffirmed his involvement in staging the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua mega-fight

The heavyweight superstars have nursed a rivalry for more than a decade, but only now has a fight between the pair been finalised, with the show set for December 11 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

“I think it’s a fight that people have been waiting for, for over 10 years. So to finally have it done, I’m sure boxing fans are excited,” White told Sky Sports News.

The announcement for the richly anticipated mega-fight stated that Saudi financier Turki Alalshikh’s The Ring and White were staging the bout, although Eddie Hearn, who promotes Joshua, has publicly claimed the American cannot be involved.

“Well, I think that the press release speaks for itself,” White responded. “I’ve been saying since the beginning of the talks of this fight that I was going to be involved in the promotion of it.

“I mean Eddie Hearn must spend 24 hours a day doing interviews. I’ve never seen a guy do more interviews in my life, but it’s all good.

“It’s all good for the fight and I think a lot of people have become aware of the fight by the fight not being done yet.

“You think Netflix [care] what Eddie Hearn thinks? I guarantee they do not. I mean: ‘not involved in the promotion of the fight’, I’m sitting here promoting the fight right now

“Who’s going to stop me?”

Hearn has also suggested holding the all-British clash in the UK is a victory for Joshua’s side.

“What did I lose? What have I lost? I promise you I’ve lost nothing,” White said. “I am not involved in either side of this thing. I’m involved on the Turki side.”

The Fury vs Joshua main event is expected to take place in the early hours of the morning on December 12, catering to a global audience.

After plenty of speculation that the fight could be held in the US, Wales’ Principality Stadium, which crucially has a roof, was ultimately selected as the venue.

“There was a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff going on,” White said. “In these types of fights, especially when you have a guy who’s putting the money up being Turki Alalshikh, you go where the money is and try to create as much revenue as you can.

“The fighters are getting paid. Everybody’s got to make some money.

“So we ended up doing it in a stadium where we didn’t have to worry about timing as much. You can close the roof and the fight with two British heavyweight champions stays in the UK.”

England came from behind to beat Kazakhstan 4-2 in an entertaining affair at Molineux to all but book their place at the European U21 Championship next year.

Slovakia’s defeat to the Republic of Ireland earlier meant England’s win put them six points clear with two games left, with a hugely superior goal difference and on the brink of qualification for the tournament in Albania and Serbia.

Kazakhstan sit at the bottom of Group D and their last win in the competition came in June 2025, so it was a big shock when they took the lead over the group leaders in the third minute courtesy of Artyom Litosh’s close-range strike.

England soon showed their quality, though they required some luck when Ali Turganov’s own goal got them level before Chelsea defender Josh Acheampong produced a striker’s finish to put them in front.

Kazakhstan again stunned Molineux to get level through Saif Popov before the break but England managed to secure the win through Max Alleyne’s second-half strike before Will Lankshear’s debut goal wrapped up the points.

Many expected England to make a quick start but it was the minnows who put themselves in front when Miras Omatay’s corner landed at the feet of Litosh who was left unmarked six yards out to poke home in the third minute.

The Young Lions were level after Kazakhstan tried to get rid of a ball into the box, but a clearance from Sultan Askarov ricocheted off the back of Turganov to get them level.

Lee Carsley’s side were in front six minutes later when Chelsea youngster Acheampong lined one up from range and fired into the bottom left corner with a pinpoint strike.

The game developed into shooting practice for England, however, against the run of play, Kazakhstan came biting back again and after Popov saw his first effort saved by James Beadle, it bounced back in his favour to turn home the rebound.

A neatly worked free-kick routine got England’s noses back in front as Ethan Nwaneri’s floated free-kick was nodded back across by Acheampong who turned provider for fellow centre-back Alleyne to sweep home.

Beadle was called into action again to stop Kazakhstan from equalising at the end before Lankshear went down the other end and poked home from Jobe Bellingham’s cross to seal the win.