Francisco Cerundolo tested by Jannik Sinner in Paris: ‘He’s going to push me to the limit’ | ATP Tour
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Serendolo undergoes sinner test: ‘He will push me to my limits’
Argentina face world number two in Paris for a quarter-final spot
October 30, 2025
Benjamin Wodan/Getty Images
Francisco Cerundolo has a 4-6 record against top 10 players in 2025.
Author: ATPTour.com/es Staff
“I have the ability to compete head-to-head with the best players,” Francisco Cerundolo told ATPTour.com earlier this year.
The Argentinian is in great form. He cracked the top 20 in the PIF ATP rankings, compiled a 4-4 record against top 10 players and reached at least the quarterfinals in three of his first four ATP Masters 1000 events (Indian Wells, Miami and Madrid).
However, an abdominal injury forced him to withdraw from his last-16 match against Alexander Zverev in Toronto, denting his well-deserved confidence. The good news for Serendolo is that he feels like he’s starting to get back to his early-season form this week at the Rolex Paris Masters, which is lucky as he faces a challenge against world No. 2 Jannik Sinner on Thursday.
“The first six months were very good. I was playing at a high level, very consistent. Then I took a dip mentally and physically, which is probably normal for the intensity at the beginning of the year,” said Serendolo, who has beaten Damir Dzumhur and Miomir Kekmanović in Paris so far. “Then I got injured in Toronto, but I think I played great tennis again.”
When the Argentinian feels confident, his opponents have good reason to feel fear; he has five career victories over members of the top five, including two wins this year against then-No. 2 Zverev in Buenos Aires and Madrid. According to the Infosys ATP Win-Loss Index, his overall record against the top 10 players is 15-18. Not bad for someone who’s not yet in the top 15 in the world.
One of those 15 wins came against Sinner, who will take the win in Paris on Thursday. In 2023, he beat the Italian in Rome when he was ranked eighth in the world and was inspired by the home fans. However, Cerundolo is able to switch in such an atmosphere.
“I compete against the best players all the time,” he told ATPTour.com a few months ago. “I knew subconsciously that because they were the tougher players, I couldn’t give them any physical, mental or tennis advantage. So I was more focused the whole time.”
He will certainly be no exception on Thursday night in Paris as he seeks a win to level their Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 3-3.
“No matter what happens, I have to play my best tennis,” Serendolo, ranked 21st in the world, said on Wednesday. “There is no doubt that he is one of the best players in the world, alongside Carlos. [Alcaraz]. They dominated the Tour almost from start to finish for two to three years. This will be a fantastic test. Hopefully I can play good tennis because he’s going to ask me to give everything. I have to be ready for this.
“He’s the best hitter on the tour right now. He can do whatever he wants on both ends of the floor, so I can’t make him comfortable. I have to serve well, play aggressively and determine the score as much as possible because he’s going to push me to the limit. I’m playing against the best players in the world on an indoor court.”
