Francisco Cerundolo’s history at the Miami Open presented by Itau, one of the most significant events of his career on the ATP Tour, began when the Argentine first set foot in the venue when it was still played at Crandon Park.
‘Fran’, who was just 15 years old, posed for a photo on the Centre Court, perhaps unaware of the tournament’s place in the history of tennis, and having never even dreamed of returning one day as a participant in the event.
“That trip was the first time I visited the USA. We came with my aunt and uncle, my cousins, my mum and my siblings. We went to Disney World on holiday, and then mum took us to Crandon Park. We took a photo there. My parents played tennis and we knew it was an amazing place,” remembered Cerundolo in an interview with ATPTour.com.
“What we didn’t know was that in the future I’d be playing in the tournament. I was playing then, but let’s say I wasn’t great. There were a lot of people who played so much better than me at that time. That’s why I didn’t think it was possible. Even though I used to watch a lot of matches on TV, it wasn’t part of my plans.”
At the time, they were simply happy to have visited somewhere that was on TV. His mother, María Luz, also has vivid memories of that day. “There was nobody there, and that meant we could go out on court, walk on it and imagine the best tennis players in the world and the grandstands full of people. What we never imagined was that one day Fran would be one of those stars.”
Possibly, Cerundolo himself reaffirmed the belief that he did not belong in that world sometime later, when he returned to Miami to play in the Orange Bowl. While his brother claimed the under-12 title, Fran lost in the qualifiers for the under-16 event.
“The one who went there with a chance was Juan Manuel. And Fran went for an experience. He was more normal,” remembers Alejandro Cerundolo, their father and first coach, a professional player himself in the eighties. “In that tournament [Frances] Tiafoe, who is from the same generation as Fran, won the under-18 boys tournament. So imagine the change Fran went through in the next seven years. His rise from there was incredible.”
As Cerundolo grew up, he became increasingly confident. He went to play university tennis for a time, and gave himself another chance at turning pro. At that juncture, the photo from Crandon Park started to become an inspiration for him again. A reminder that he could do it.
“As the years went by, I started to believe and when I saw that photo I used to say: ‘I hope one day I can play there,” added the three-time tour champion. The dream came true. Although the venue had by then changed, in 2022 he played in the Miami Masters 1000. Moreover, that very tournament he reached the semi-finals, seeing off along the way Tiafoe, the very player who had made him think about how far he was from being a professional almost a decade earlier at the Orange Bowl.
“His is a story of hard work, and he deserves everything that has happened to him because of everything he’s been through. He’s achieved so many dreams and I think that’s surprising,” added Alejandro.
Miami not only became the place where so many of his biggest dreams became a reality, it also became an inspiration for new dreams.
“I’ve been here on holiday, at the Orange Bowl Juanma won, and many times practising when I had free weeks between Cincinnati and the US Open. I have a lot of Latino and, above all, Argentine friends here. Also, this is my fourth year playing the tournament. It’s an amazing combination,” explained Francisco, the current No. 24 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
His latest foray in Miami started on Friday with a win over Frenchman Alexandre Muller, and will continue on Sunday against American 12th seed Tommy Paul. “Hopefully I can have a great tournament. It’s a tough draw, but if I can play good tennis, I’ll have chances.”
As long as he’s in Miami, his chances will always be high.
© Copyright 1994 - 2024 ATP Tour, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way or by any means (including photocopying, recording or storing it in any medium by electronic means), without the written permission of ATP Tour, Inc.. Terms & Conditions | Privacy | Community Social Media Policy | Modern Slavery Statement | Feedback | Cookies | Your Privacy Choices 
Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.
Alternative Proxies:
