Another American out: Frances Tiafoe withdraws from Laver Cup and De Minaur returns to Team World

The Laver Cup has suffered another last-minute withdrawal after captain Andre Agassi confirmed that Frances Tiafoe will not be present at the tournament this weekend. With the American out, the Australian Alex de Minaur has been confirmed to return and represent Team World after a three-year absence.

The 2025 edition of the Laver Cup marks the third confirmed player withdrawal, and once again it is Team World that has had to find a replacement. The initial lineups featured Ben Shelton (No. 6) and Tommy Paul (No. 15), but at the start of this week, both withdrew due to post-US Open injuries. The Americans were replaced by their compatriots, Alex Michelsen (No. 32) and Reilly Opelka (No. 63).

However, this Friday it was announced that Frances Tiafoe (No. 29) will also not be in the draw. The American No. 4 is competing in the Davis Cup this week in Delray Beach and has reportedly chosen to take a rest after a weekend of competition for his country, opting to skip the Laver Cup to rest before traveling to the Asian Swing next week.

With this, Agassi has managed to secure a premium replacement, as he will now have world No. 8 Alex de Minaur. The Australian will be the fourth top-10 player in the draw, joining Taylor Fritz on his Team World. Meanwhile, for Team Europe, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev lead the team.

Team World shakes up roster again

With De Minaur's addition, the lineups are finally confirmed for the 2025 edition of the Laver Cup, which is full of debutantes on both teams.

Team Europe will feature Alcaraz (No. 1), Zverev (No. 3), Holger Rune (No. 11), Casper Ruud (No. 12), Jakub Mensik (No. 17), and Flavio Cobolli (No. 25). Among the Europeans, the most experienced is Zverev, who is making his sixth appearance, the most of any player since the tournament's first edition. This will be Ruud's fifth appearance, while Alcaraz will be playing for the second time. For Rune, Mensik, and Cobolli, this will be their respective debuts for the Europeans.

For Team World, Taylor Fritz (No. 5) is making his fifth appearance, making him the most experienced player on his team. Francisco Cerúndolo (No. 21) will be in his third appearance, while both Opelka (No. 63) and de Minaur (No. 8) will be playing the tournament for the second time. For Team World, the debutants are Alex Michelsen (No. 32) and Joao Fonseca (No. 42).

De Minaur's Return to Team World

De Minaur's return to Team World could be a boost for his team, as he is a top-10 addition. In fact, among the non-European players, only Fritz and Shelton have a better current ranking.

The last time de Minaur played in the tournament was in 2022, when he was ranked world No. 22 and was part of Roger Federer's farewell event. In that edition, de Minaur played singles, defeating Andy Murray on the first day in a 10-point tie-break. A day later, he played doubles on the second day alongside Jack Sock, where they were defeated by Matteo Berrettini and Novak Djokovic.