From Cariló to the US Open: Etcheverry and Cerúndolo take their childhood rivalry to another level | ATP Tour

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From Cariló to the US Open: Etcheverry and Cerúndolo take their childhood rivalry to another level

Argentines, best friends among themselves, talk about their duel on Wednesday

August 27, 2024

More than 15 years of clashes between Tomás Etcheverry and Francisco Cerúndolo have often put their solid relationship off the court in jeopardy, but the latter remains unscathed. In fact, so much rivalry could have distanced them definitively when they clashed for the first time in a tournament for under-ten players in Cariló, Argentina, where the loser cried for the next three days.

“And I still have that thorn in my side!” Etcheverry confesses in a chat with ATPTour.com. “I remember that it was a semi-final in Cariló. We were about nine years old, that’s when we met for the first time. Whoever won was guaranteed a beautiful trophy, the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen in my life up to this day. And I ended up very upset because I lost against ‘Fran’ and after having match point.”

The frustration of missing out on that shining golden trophy accompanied him back home to La Plata and for several more days at home. “I cried so much that my family got worried. At one point, my dad told me not to play tennis anymore because he was seeing me suffer so much,” adds Etcheverry.

At that time, both ‘Tomy’ and ‘Fran’ were far from playing like they do now: with pure power and looking to dominate every point. In the children’s tournament in Cariló they only passed the ball and hit it upwards. ‘Fran’, a year older, ended up winning the third set. “I remember that ‘Tomy’ left crying. Those were the emotions of that age,” says Cerúndolo. “Afterwards I remember millions of more matches against him.”

And that rivalry that would grow rapidly from that duel in Cariló never affected the friendship that they built little by little in each tournament and on each trip together. The disagreements that have arisen due to their competitiveness on the court have always found a safe haven.

“None of us like to lose, we have killed each other several times. Once in a Future in Pinamar, he ended up angry with me and we ended up fighting,” Etcheverry remembers. “Afterwards we had to go outside the court to talk to him to sort things out because we both ended up very angry. But that was it. In the end we have a nice competitiveness that has helped us in the process.”

Growing up, they simultaneously set themselves many goals in tennis, such as becoming a professional, sharing a Davis Cup team or being a doubles partner on the ATP Tour (this year they have played seven tournaments on the circuit as a couple). On Wednesday, they will achieve another on the list: facing each other in a Grand Slam. “It’s something we dreamed of as kids,” explains Etcheverry, currently No. 33 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

“We have been very close,” Cerúndolo added. “We have been completing all the cards in the album together, and now we have to face each other in a Grand Slam. We are best friends, we share every week, we train a lot, we play almost all the doubles. It will be difficult because we know each other’s games very well, but it will also be a very nice match.”

“It is always very difficult to face a friend, but hopefully in this case we can put on a good show,” added Cerúndolo, No. 29 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

On Wednesday, in addition to qualifying for the third round of the US Open for the first time, he will be seeking revenge for the most recent duel between the two, more than a year ago on the clay of Santiago. ‘Tomy’ will also be seeking his best result in the tournament, as well as further vindication of his defeat in Cariló in the children’s tournament more than 15 years ago.