Alcaraz already knows his opponent for his debut in Shanghai

Juan Manuel Cerúndolo will be the first opponent of Carlos Alcaraz in the ATP Shanghai after defeating Nicolás Mejía in the first round with a score of 6-4 6-4 in 1 hour and 18 minutes. A first challenge where the Spanish player is the clear favorite, although he faces a player who is having the best year of his career.

At 24 years old, the younger brother of Francisco Cerúndolo has taken a giant step in his professional life. This year he has climbed up the rankings to break into the top 60, which has secured his participation in the major tournaments on the circuit. Despite being a specialist on clay, his evolution has been multidimensional, and he is also proving that he can perform at a high level on any surface. In fact, today he played a very solid match against the Colombian player, who even managed to go a break up in both sets but ultimately succumbed to the Argentine.

5 years later, Alcaraz and Cerúndolo meet again

For Alcaraz, this match will also be a reunion with Juan Manuel five years after their first and only meeting. Back then, both were rookies on the circuit, and they faced off at the ATP Next Gen Finals with a favorable result for the Spanish player of 4-0 4-1 2-4 and 4-3. Thus, this will be the first time they meet using the classic tennis match scoring.

After returning from his wrist injury at the US Open and reaching the quarter-finals, Alcaraz has once again won the ATP Tokyo and enters a tournament where he will be the main favorite. Against Cerúndolo, he will have a great first contact, arriving eager, as in 2025 he could not participate and went straight to the Six Kings Slam.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz ya conoce a su rival para su debut en Shanghái