Alcaraz brings a new moustache and a quick win to Shanghai

The moustache was new. The attacking tennis was very familiar.

Carlos Alcaraz opened his Shanghai Masters campaign on October 10 with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerúndolo. The result sent the second seed into the third round and kept his run of victories going after his title in Tokyo.

The tournament’s official report recorded a 66-minute match and a seventh straight win for the Spaniard. He repeatedly moved forward to the net, using the fast court to put his opponent under pressure.

Good serving made life simpler

Alcaraz hit eight aces and did not face a single break point, according to Field Level Media. He also led the winners count 24-8 and won 13 of the 20 points he played at the net.

A break point is a chance for the receiver to win the server’s game. Avoiding them entirely meant Alcaraz never had to escape that particular danger on his own serve.

His numbers at the net also show how he chose to play. Instead of waiting through every long rally from the back of the court, he looked for chances to close the distance and finish points earlier.

Afterwards, he explained that finding his rhythm in Shanghai’s fast conditions had taken an adjustment. Once he changed things up, the match moved firmly in his direction.

The comeback has another encouraging chapter

Alcaraz’s season had been interrupted by a wrist injury that kept him away for more than four months. His Tokyo trophy was his first since returning, AFP reported through Arab News.

That context gives a routine-looking score more meaning. Winning again is one thing; carrying that form into the next tournament is another. This opening performance offered a positive sign without settling how the rest of the week will go.

Shanghai remains one of the Masters 1000 titles missing from his collection, alongside Canada and Paris. His previous best in the Chinese city was a quarter-final appearance in 2024.

And about that moustache

There was a lighter explanation for the new look. AS reported that Alcaraz and his team had made a pact before Tokyo: if he won there, they would grow moustaches for Shanghai.

He delivered the trophy, so the facial-hair agreement came into effect. Tennis teams apparently have their own version of the group-chat dare.

Next comes Belgium’s Zizou Bergs, who beat Ignacio Buse in straight sets. For Alcaraz, the useful takeaway from the opener is the tennis underneath the new look: controlled service games, attacking intent and another match safely completed.