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Francisco Cerúndolo: “I want to maintain the level throughout the year, I know that if I succeed I will finish quite high”

At 23 years old, Francisco Cerundolo enjoy a special week, with career-high ranking: 76th, product of an excellent start to the season, with 16 wins in 22 games in just under two months of action. That is why the tennis player from Buenos Aires decided to slow down a bit and take care of his physique for a few days. “He was very tired. I played a lot, I hadn’t stopped for a week and I needed to rest. More than anything, I needed to stop due to the accumulation of matches and the flight hours ”, he opens the talk. The relaxation will not last long: next Friday he will travel to the United States to play the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells -in this he must play the classification- and Miami, and then prepare the European tour of slow courts.

“You have to think,” seems to say Francisco Cerúndolo; it was in one of his recent victories at the Argentina OpenPress Argentina Open/Oscar Roberto Castro

The landing in the Top 80 It is news that brings out the widest smile. “It was a goal that she had for a long time. When I entered the Top 100, I knew that I had many points to defend ahead of me, and that’s why the beginning was not ideal, but when I won the Santa Cruz de la Sierra Challenger -at the end of January- I gained confidence. Afterwards, these ATP tournaments on the tour I think I played incredible, I feel like continuing and I’m very happy with what I’ve achieved”.

Francisco Cerúndolo, in action in Buenos Aires
Francisco Cerúndolo, in action in Buenos AiresPress Argentina Open/Sergio LLELMERA

In a certain way, entering the list of the 100 best represented for Cerúndolo a satisfaction and, at the same time, a bit of relief for a goal that was very difficult to achieve, and for which he was able to get a backpack out of himself. “Last year I had in mind to be among the 100 and I couldn’t do it. A little because of the freezing of the ranking, because of the pandemic… the thing is that I got a lot of anger, I was very hot with that whole system and I played badly for many months. After September I played horrible. So, from that experience this year I didn’t set myself any goals in terms of ranking. The first thing, this year, was to find the feeling of when I reached the final in Buenos Aires in 2021 and won three challengers. Now I feel better, and I want to maintain the level throughout the year. I know that if I succeed I will finish quite high”.

It is a great start, especially since Cerúndolo had finished last year with a shoulder ailment: “The December preseason was not entirely good, because I could not serve, I was unemployed for a long time, I did everything physical, very little tennis and zero of serve So I went to Australia. There I served three days in a row, and despite the lack of rhythm I think I played very well, except in the Australian Open qualifier. I competed with what I had.”

All good: Francisco Cerúndolo affirms himself among the 100 best
All good: Francisco Cerúndolo affirms himself among the 100 bestBuenos Aires Challenger Press

The oldest of the Cerúndolo, who is trained by Kevin Konfederak and with Mariano Gaute in charge of the physical part, will now have a very close challenge. And it is that in a couple of weeks the 162 points that he won twelve months ago, when he reached the final of the Argentina Open, will be gone. He will go back a few steps, but in any case he practically assured direct entry to two Grand Slams: Roland Garros and Wimbledon. “Luckily I was able to score good points before, after this I don’t defend much, and in the tournaments I played this year I got good results. The idea is to play at the ATP level as much as possible, and the European Masters 1000. The first thing is to go to the United States. I feel that my game can be adapted well, although it will be the first time that I play a Masters 1000 on concrete. It is an experience and a goal that I want to enjoy, because there are few who can play those tournaments and it is another ‘figure’ to cross off. I am going to try to compete fully in those weeks and be able to play a great role”, he is excited.

Francisco Cerúndolo at Roland Garros, one of his favorite tournaments
Francisco Cerúndolo at Roland Garros, one of his favorite tournamentsFFT

What things changed to make the jump? Cerúndolo explains: “I have improved a lot in the mental part, I am more consistent and patient on the court, I am more clear that you cannot make winners all the time. At the highest level everyone plays well, so you have to be focused throughout the game, and if you make a lot of mistakes, the score goes very quickly. So when I came back to play the ATP I was very focused. I knew that I did not have to despair, that I had to fight many balls because there they make you play one more, and that is the key, be patient. I already had the blows, but because I rushed before, I missed a lot, and that at the highest level is expensive”.

Within a year in which he alternated ATP tournaments with Challengers, Fran broadens the concept of the reasons for his promotion: “I played with many players in the Top 50, a couple of times with a Top 20 like Peque [Schwartzman], which I was close to beating. Compared to last year I felt much better, because there I was at the limit, forcing the shots a lot. This year I felt more mature, with more experience. I was able to see them all train and compete, and all of that helped me a lot to have more confidence in myself. I knew I had the ability, but it’s very complicated if you don’t believe it a bit. This year I was able to face it more calmly, and I felt that I am at the level of the ATP”.

A Parisian postcard: Juan Manuel and Francisco Cerúndolo, at Roland Garros
A Parisian postcard: Juan Manuel and Francisco Cerúndolo, at Roland GarrosCourtesy Cerúndolo brothers

The climb in the ranking also positioned him again ahead of his brother Juan Manuel, who last year had won the Córdoba Open. A) Yes, the Cerúndolos achieved a singular achievement: together with the Germans Alexander and Mischa Zverev (from 2016 to 2019), and the Belgians Olivier and Christophe Rochus (between 2000 and 2010), they are the only brothers who have shared the Top 100 at the same time so far in the 21st century . Then there are cases like Guillermo and Federico Coria, with both in the Top 100, but not at the same time, and the same thing happened with the Austrians Jürgen and Gerald Melzer.

The Cerúndolo brothers, at home
The Cerúndolo brothers, at homeFABIAN MARELLI

Is there some kind of competition between the brothers? Cerúndolo smiles again: “It’s a healthy competition. When I reached the quarter-finals and the semi in Rio de Janeiro, I knew I was going to be ahead in the rankings, and he immediately sent me congratulations. We always want the other to win, because it’s great to go up both in the ranking, traveling together. I think that in a few weeks we will be quite close to each other in the standings.”

Now, more accustomed to the big tournaments, the oldest of the Cerúndolo begins to throb those tournaments that were previously watched on television and now have him as the protagonist. “It’s not new, but one of my favorites is the Argentina Open. It went well for me the two times I played it, and although I couldn’t win it, I was able to make the final and the quarterfinals. I always dreamed of winning there, and I know that I will have more opportunities in the future. Then, of course, I would love for it to go well at Roland Garros”.

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