Alcaraz opens Shanghai campaign with a win and a new moustache

Carlos Alcaraz made a winning start at the Shanghai Masters, beating Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-3, 6-3 on Saturday to reach the third round. The world No. 3 caught the eye with a freshly trimmed moustache, while his exceptional touch at the net was on show in his opening match.

Alcaraz stuck to an attacking approach, using Shanghai’s quick court to unsettle Cerundolo and move forward whenever the opportunity arose. Earlier this year at Roland Garros, the Argentine beat Jannik Sinner in a five-set second-round match. He was aiming to become the first player since Andrey Rublev in 2024 to beat both Sinner and Alcaraz in the same season, but Alcaraz kept his campaign on track.

The moustache looks set to stay for a little longer. “It’s going to stay for the week,” Alcaraz confirmed when asked about it. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner withdrew from Shanghai this week, announcing that he would sit out the rest of 2026 because of a right knee injury.

The ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters is live on Sky Sports Tennis from October 7 to 18. The channel is also showing the WTA China Open live until October 11.