SEPT 20 - 22, 2024 | BERLIN
Francisco Cerundolo made a winning Laver Cup debut in Vancouver and will bring his A-Game for Team World in Berlin as the men in red strive to clinch victory for a third straight year.
How it’s going
The Argentinian, who turned 26 last month, earned the third title of his career in Umag in July by dispatching higher-ranked opponents Andrey Rublev and Lorenzo Musetti in the semifinal and final.
The world No.31 also caused an upset in Madrid by defeating Team Europe’s Alex Zverev in straight sets to secure his third Top 5 win. At Roland Garros, on the surface he’s most comfortable, Cerundolo stretched top seed Novak Djokovic to five sets in their fourth-round clash, repeating his best result at a major.
The motivation to play Laver Cup
“When I watch[ed] it on TV the previous year, I really wanted to be part of the team because I saw how the atmosphere, the guys were,” said Cerundolo, who is a key reason that fans in Argentina and beyond will tune into the 2024 edition of the event.
Laver Cup distinguishes itself from others in part because top players, who compete individually week in and week out, come together to cheer each other on, said the right-hander.
“You have teammates that are your rivals during the whole year,” he said. “I think it is really nice and different.” Learning from Captain John McEnroe is “fantastic,” Cerundolo said, acknowledging the presence of Team Europe Captain Bjorn Borg also. “They’re both legends of our sport.”
During the week in Vancouver last year, Cerundolo discovered that McEnroe had many positives to impart about his tennis. “He loved my forehand, so that was a compliment for myself,” said Cerundolo, adding that he was motivated to work harder, and smarter, for his captain.
The key to winning Laver Cup
Team World has fantastic energy, said Cerundolo, who got a taste of team tennis when he played as a freshman for the University of South Carolina before turning professional. The men in red have historically obtained crucial points from doubles matches, and Cerundolo has proved his prowess when sharing the court.
In Rome this year, he and countryman Tomas Martin Etcheverry defeated Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul, who later clinched bronze at the Paris Olympics. The Argentine duo also upset German doubles specialists Tim Putz and Kevin Kraweitz, this year’s US Open men’s doubles runners-up.
“I really like playing team events,” he said at Laver Cup in Vancouver. “I tried to get what the guys were telling me, what John was telling me and try to do it on the court.”
Team World is locked in when they’re in the heat of battle, but Cerundolo will enjoy reviving the camaraderie he established with teammates Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton and Fritz in Vancouver, which included reciprocating a “Salt Bae” sprinkling gesture to mark particularly notable winners. “It’s quite a back-and-forth energy; they give me and I give it back,” he said.
Role on Team World
Cerundolo became the first South American player to win a point in Laver Cup competition in Vancouver by triumphing over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in straight sets on Day 1 and will endeavor to extend his unbeaten record.
His explosive forehand will be on show at Uber Arena and the Argentine will back himself, despite falling to Carlos Alcaraz and Grigor Dimitrov in their sole prior meetings. Interestingly, he’s never faced Daniil Medvedev or Stefanos Tsitsipas, and has a 3-3 head-to-head record against Casper Ruud and a 1-0 advantage against Zverev.
