'Dirty, sticky, and a lot fun,' is how Milos Raonic predicted the post-match victory celebrations for Team World, who sealed a second Laver Cup success with a dominant 13-2 win over Team Europe.
The final outcome was inevitable after a rampant opening day saw Team World race to a 4-0 lead. They extended that cushion even further when Taylor Fritz defeated Andrey Rublev in the opening match on Day 2. Casper Ruud briefly kept the series interesting, getting Europe on the board.
But it proved futile as John McEnroe's men gobbled up the next three matches rendering the remaining singles matches on Day 3 a no-show. It was the second time in six editions that Team World had triumphed over Team Europe and they could finally take the champagne out of the ice.
After the trophy lift in the middle of the court, a proper celebration ensued in the locker room. A swarm of tulip glasses and premium bottles of the Moet & Chandon garnished the winners' table. Just like last year, all team players and captains basked in the champagne spray that we rarely see it happen on the tennis courts.
Players also sipped from the Laver Cup trophy before soaking it all in on each other. Under U.S. laws, consumption of alcohol under the age of 21 is prohibited. But young Ben Shelton, who is only 20, drank champagne, benefitting from Vancouncer's lenient drinking age limit of 19.
Overall, the event was a massive success in terms of viewership and crowd turnout. But as a spectacle, tennis fans shared mixed reactions, with some fans calling it 'boring' and others labeling it the 'worst' among all Laver Cup editions, given how routine the outcome ended up.
Team Europe are already looking ahead. Retired legend Roger Federer, who is the man pulling the strings in the staging of this event every season, is hopeful of bringing both Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz to next year's edition.
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