Cerúndolo lashes out at Massú during US Open exit

Francisco Cerúndolo’s US Open run ended with a tense exchange at his own bench. During his four-set loss to Belgium’s Alexander Blockx, the Argentine turned toward coach Nicolás Massú and physiotherapist Esteban García and shouted, “You two are like tombs.”

Cerúndolo believed he was not receiving enough advice from his team as the match tightened. The moment was captured on the broadcast and drew criticism on social media. He eventually lost 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 after three hours and 16 minutes, sending Blockx into the quarterfinals of the New York tournament for the first time.

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You two are like tombs.

Both players dealt with physical problems. Blockx felt pain in his ribs from the opening games and later said he had considered retiring from the match. Cerúndolo also reported discomfort and struggled to maintain consistency. Afterward, he acknowledged his frustration at failing to take his chances, but said reaching the round of 16 remained “super positive.”

The confrontation came only days after one of the biggest successes of the Cerúndolo-Massú partnership. In the previous round, Cerúndolo recovered from two sets down to defeat ninth seed Taylor Fritz. Massú began coaching him in early June, and the partnership soon produced the biggest title of Cerúndolo’s career, the Queen’s ATP 500 crown, which he won against Tommy Paul.

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I’m angry and frustrated, but beyond today’s match, reaching the round of 16 is super positive.