Carlos Alcaraz defeats Juan Manuel Cerúndolo in Shanghai Masters Open
- Carlos Alcaraz defeated Juan Manuel Cerúndolo 6-3, 6-3 in 66 minutes at the Shanghai Masters, opening his tournament run with a new mustache grown as part of a...
- Alcaraz introduced facial hair in Shanghai following a wager with his coaching staff that required everyone except Juanjo Moreno to grow a mustache if Alcaraz won the title...
- Facing the 55th-ranked Argentine, Alcaraz adjusted his strategy on the fast court after struggling to find his rhythm early in the match.
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Juan Manuel Cerúndolo 6-3, 6-3 in 66 minutes at the Shanghai Masters, opening his tournament run with a new mustache grown as part of a team bet. The Spanish player advanced to the third round while extending his active winning streak to seven matches following victories at the Laver Cup and Tokyo, according to as.com reporting. He maintains a record of 18-1 against Argentine players, with his sole defeat coming against Federico Coria in their first matchup at Rio 2020.
Alcaraz Debuts Mustache and Adapts Tactics Against Cerúndolo
Alcaraz introduced facial hair in Shanghai following a wager with his coaching staff that required everyone except Juanjo Moreno to grow a mustache if Alcaraz won the title in Tokyo. Yes, we’re going to keep it for a week. I’ve always wanted to step onto the court with a mustache at least once. So, before Tokyo, we said, “Okay, if I win the tournament, we’ll all grow mustaches and play in Shanghai with them.” I think it’s going to be fun. We’re laughing and just enjoying the experience. So the mustache is here to stay.
Alcaraz stated, as reported by as.com.
Facing the 55th-ranked Argentine, Alcaraz adjusted his strategy on the fast court after struggling to find his rhythm early in the match. He approached the net 24 times, winning 17 of those points to secure the straight-sets victory. Honestly, that wasn’t the plan at first. I tried to be prepared and get used to the conditions here. The court is quite fast, which I like. Thanks to Zato, I think I started doing things differently, because I hadn’t started very well; I couldn’t find my rhythm or read his serve well. So I tried to change things up.
Alcaraz explained to as.com.
Third-Round Fixture Against Zizou Bergs in Shanghai
Alcaraz previously defeated Bergs last year at the tournament in Tokyo. The 27-year-old Belgian player, ranked 39th in the world, advanced to meet Alcaraz after also winning easily against Peruvian player Ignacio Buse with scores of 6-0 and 6-3 in 1 hour and 5 minutes. Reflecting on the transition from Tokyo’s conditions to Shanghai, Alcaraz noted that adapting quickly remains essential. I think the first round of any tournament is never easy.
I would say it’s even more complicated when you haven’t had much time to adapt as best as possible, as has happened to me here.
Alcaraz told as.com. Furthermore, Alcaraz has not lost against opponents outside the top 50 since David Goffin, ranked 55th, defeated him in Miami 2025.