Fran Cerúndolo reveals details of his career: "As a child, I was not one of the best"

Óscar Belloch | 10 Aug 2025 | 20.00

Francisco Cerundolo. Photo: Getty

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Francisco Cerúndolo is already an established player in the ATP ranking at 26 years old, although it hasn't all been a bed of roses for him. An unfortunate injury forced him to withdraw from the match against Alexander Zverev at the ATP Toronto 2025, so he will not be present at the ATP Cincinnati. Nevertheless, the Argentine is going through a good moment on the court, being ranked at number 23, just five positions away from his best historical ranking.

He couldn't get past the first round at Roland Garros or Wimbledon, but he reached the semifinals at the Mutua Madrid Open 2025 and the final at the home tournament, the ATP Buenos Aires. He hasn't claimed any titles this season yet, but Francisco Cerúndolo knows how to compete toe-to-toe with the best. Prior to his debut at Wimbledon 2025, he appeared on the cameras of Agustín Creevy's YouTube channel, which uploaded the interview over a month after recording it. In the interview, the Argentine reveals interesting details about his career.

- His beginnings in tennis

"When I went on vacation with the family, I kept training because I am lucky that my brother plays tennis (Juan Manuel) and so it served both of us, we didn't have to worry about finding someone to spar with. My journey with tennis was unusual because I wasn't one of the best when I was young. I went to regular school, which is also uncommon. Everyone leaves school because they do it online, but my parents didn't want that. If you're good, by 13-14 years old you're already in international tournaments and it becomes difficult to continue studies. You start missing a lot and it becomes hard. I trained only once a day, and I didn't start doing double sessions until I was 17 or 18, when my level increased significantly."

- Pre-match routines

"I spend more time with my team than with my family or friends, so they have to be people you trust 100% to share everything with. Before an important match, we try to be in a good mood the night before, playing cards, having some laughs, and cooking. We talk a bit about tennis, but we try to have other things as well."

- Mental health: 3 years with a psychologist

"I spent 3 years with a psychologist, and it helped me because I used to get angry quickly. When I was younger, when I lost, I would spend the next day at home not wanting to talk to anyone. I isolated myself and kept reliving the match, analyzing what I did wrong. In tennis, you have to go point by point and reset at every moment, and that's where the psychologist helped me."

- Favorite tournaments

"Some tournaments are much harder than others. When I go to an ATP 250, I aim to win it because I usually am one of the favorites. I always go to tournaments that benefit me the most in terms of points needed, based on my confidence level and also the playing conditions or location. My favorite tournament is the ATP Buenos Aires because it's the only week of the year when I can play at home. There, I play for my friends, for my family, and for Argentina, which is the utmost for me. Besides Buenos Aires, my favorite tournaments are the Miami Open and Roland Garros."

- A fulfilled dream and an anecdote with Diego Schwartzman

"The first dream I fulfilled was entering the top 100, which I achieved at 22 years old. It was at the ATP Buenos Aires 2021, where I lost to Diego Schwartzman in the final. After winning my quarterfinal match against Pablo Andújar, a very established and experienced player (1-6 6-3 6-2), Schwartzman greeted me as I came off the court saying, 'today you graduated as a tennis player'."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Fran Cerúndolo revela datos de su carrera: "De pequeño, no era de los mejores"