Juan Manuel Cerundolo vs Carlos Alcaraz Prediction & Picks - ATP Shanghai Masters

Prediction published on 10/9/26, 8:46 AM  by Tyler Doty | Modified on 10/9/26 at 8:51 AM in ATP Shanghai Masters Picks

Carlos Alcaraz will enter the Shanghai Masters 1000 as the favorite. The Spaniard is now back to 100% of his abilities after spending many months away from the courts. The world No. 3, who already performed well at the U.S. Open on his return (reaching the quarterfinals) defended his title earlier this week in Tokyo. Despite a sometimes sluggish run, the Spanish player was able to raise his level of play in the closing stages of matches to come out on top. In China, Alcaraz will need to perform at least as well to lift the trophy next week, a title that is still missing from his resume. The Spaniard will take to the court for the first time on Saturday afternoon in this Chinese tournament, with a match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo on the horizon.

The Argentine has emerged as a top-tier player this season, particularly on clay. On hard courts, the South American still needs to find consistency, even though he showed promise over the summer. But since the start of this Asian tour, the world No. 55 has struggled to make his mark. A second-round appearance in Chengdu followed by a first-round exit in Beijing did little to prepare him for this match in Shanghai. However, these results haven’t prevented Juan Manuel Cerundolo from getting off to a strong start in this tournament with a victory on Thursday over Colombian Nicolas Mejia (6-4, 6-4). Now comes the showdown against the favorite of this Masters 1000 tournament in a match where the Buenos Aires native has everything to play for.