![\"Mass\u00fa](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Nicolas-Massu-Cerundolo-768x1024.jpeg\")
Nicol\u00e1s Mass\u00fa celebrates Cer\u00fandolo\u2019s Queen\u2019s title with the player\u2019s mother \/ SEBASTI\u00c1N VARELA, CLAY MAGAZINE<\/p>\nLONDON \u2014 A new broom sweeps clean. Just look at Argentina\u2019s Francisco Cer\u00fandolo, champion at the Queen\u2019s Club ATP 500, with Nicol\u00e1s Mass\u00fa having been at the helm of his team for only seven days.<\/p>\n
\u201cNico, what a week! But don\u2019t get used to it. This is the first 500, what a way to start,\u201d the Argentine told his new coach during the trophy ceremony after beating North American Tommy Paul in a tightly fought final: 6-7 (4-6), 6-4 and 6-3.<\/p>\n
Cer\u00fandolo signed the former world No. 9 last week, and the pairing made an unexpected debut in London, delivering the biggest title of the player\u2019s career, which will see him climb to 21st in the rankings on Monday.<\/p>\n
The Athens 2004 Olympic champion experienced the final in characteristic fashion. He was the first to shout out his player\u2019s points and stayed constantly engaged with him throughout. His reaction during the final point of the match captures the way he lives tennis from the box: he could not stand still during the rally, and once Cer\u00fandolo sealed the match, he was visibly overcome with emotion, just before clenching his fists and roaring.<\/p>\n
After parting ways with Poland\u2019s Hubert Hurkacz, Mass\u00fa found in Cer\u00fandolo a project that suits him well: a player with a solid technical base, whose main weaknesses lie in the mental side of the game. And, crucially, without any language or cultural barrier between them.<\/p>\n
Nicol\u00e1s Mass\u00fa celebrates Cer\u00fandolo\u2019s Queen\u2019s title with the player\u2019s mother \/ SEBASTI\u00c1N VARELA, CLAY MAGAZINE<\/p>\n
A scorching Sunday in London will go down in the history of Argentine tennis. Cer\u00fandolo<\/a> became the first player from his country to have his name etched on the list of Queen\u2019s Club champions.<\/p>\n Many took to social media to recall David Nalbandian, who came within a set of achieving the feat in 2012 before being disqualified for kicking an advertising board and, in the process, striking the line judge directly in the leg, leaving him with a nasty injury. It cost him all the ranking points and prize money he had earned at the tournament, as well as a \u00a310,000 fine.<\/p>\n A milestone his parents almost missed seeing live. Alejandro Cer\u00fandolo and Mar\u00eda Luz Rodr\u00edguez, both former tennis players, landed in London at two in the afternoon. As the final ran long, they managed to beat London traffic and reach the court with just two games left in the match. Cer\u00fandolo\u2019s father, on top of everything, also overcame his fear of flying.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw some movement in my box right at the end of the match, and it was them. It made me really happy. Congratulations to my dad for taking a flight and making it in time. And on top of that \u2014 it\u2019s Father\u2019s Day!\u201d said the 27-year-old.<\/p>\n \u201cYesterday I knew they were travelling in the afternoon and landing after two o\u2019clock. My match was at half past one \u2014 if it was short, they were not going to make it; if it went long, there was a chance they would. My mum wanted me to at least see the club, and it looks like they got there, and when I celebrated it was lovely to have them there.\u201d<\/p>\n Do you love CLAY?\u00a0Support us on Ko-fi<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Instagram<\/a>,\u00a0X (Twitter)<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t