Alcaraz, after his new madness in Shanghai: “He is here to stay all week”

Carlos Alcaraz He arrived at the Shanghai ATP Masters 1000 strengthened by his title at the Tokyo ATP 500. He revalidated his crown in the Japanese capital on Tuesday, entering the Chinese city like a cannon, where he overwhelmed the Argentine Juan Manuel Cerúndolo6-3 and 6-3 in just over an hour.

The Spaniard opened his third appearance in a Masters 1000 with great force where he fell to the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in the second round of 2024 and lost against the Czech Tomas Machac in quarters of 2025.

“Starting a tournament is always difficult, it’s even harder when you haven’t had enough time to adapt to the new conditions, which were totally different in Tokyo. The speed of the court, the ball, the humidity. Here everything is faster, which I also like,” he said. Carlos Alcaraz.

He needed 20 minutes to adjust his tennis to what the day required, this time indoors due to the rain in Shanghai, and the rival, the left-handed cerundolo. “At first I didn’t get into rhythm and it was difficult for me to read his serve, so I decided to opt for another approach, do something different,” he explained.

He attacked more from the rest, going up to the net. He increased the aggressiveness of his game, from a serve that worked perfectly. He won five blank games with it. He hit eight aces and did not provide any breaking balls to his opponent.

“These are the games that help me continue towards where I really want to go. I hope it goes even better in the next game,” he noted. It will be on Monday, against the Belgian Zizou Bergs, who destroyed the Peruvian Ignacio Buse 6-0 and 6-3.

He will wear the mustache he debuted this Saturday again. “In Tokyo we said that if I won the tournament, we would all grow our mustaches. And here I am, with a mustache. I had already thought about at least playing with a mustache one day. It’s here to stay for a week.”

On the television camera, after the victory, he signed ‘Moustache Team’, since Samuel Lopezhis brother Alvaro, Albert Molina (manager) and Juanjo Lopez (physiotherapist) did not go back on their word either.