Alcaraz Marks Shanghai Return With Ruthless Cerundolo Dismissal

Carlos Alcaraz made a winning return to the Shanghai Masters on Saturday, easing past Argentina's Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-3, 6-3 in the second round of the 2026 tournament. The victory was his first at the Chinese event in 730 days after he missed the 2025 edition entirely. Alcaraz was in command throughout the 66-minute contest, never facing a single break point and firing 24 winners as he booked his place in the third round.

The second seed arrived in Shanghai fresh from winning the Tokyo Open — his first trophy since returning from injury — and stretched his winning streak to seven matches. With world No. 1 Jannik Sinner out for the rest of the season with a knee injury and Novak Djokovic bundled out by Hubert Hurkacz, Alcaraz's clean, comfortable victory marks him as the man to beat in a draw that suddenly looks wide open.

After the match, the Spaniard — sporting a fresh moustache, signing a camera lens "Moustache Team" — thanked the Shanghai crowd that had waited two years to see him play at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena. He will face the winner of Ignacio Buse and Zizou Bergs in the third round.