Francisco Cerundolo is on the rise once again. The current World No. 26 flies the flag as the highest-ranked player from Argentina – and South America – and he’s into his maiden quarterfinal at the BNP Paribas Open after dismantling ninth-ranked Alex de Minaur for his 13th career Top-10 win on Wednesday. 

BNPParibasopen.com sat down with the 26-year-old Buenos Aires native to talk about his upcoming clash with Carlos Alcaraz, a new addition to his coaching staff and more:

There was a huge smile on your face after today’s win. What does it mean to get to the quarterfinals here at Indian Wells? 

Super happy. I had a tough battle with Alex in Australia, losing in four sets, and I think I played really well in the clay swing in South America, so I brought some momentum here. It’s tough to transition from clay to hard and I think in the first match I didn’t play well, but I got through. After that I started playing better. I’m super happy to beat Alex today, and to be in the quarterfinals here.

You are going to face Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, what are your thoughts on facing this incredible talent? 

It’s going to be a super difficult match for sure. He’s been on a hot streak here at Indian Wells, winning the last two years and winning anywhere and everywhere. He’s part of the top two guys on tour with Jannik [Sinner] that are maybe on another level from all of us. 

But in any match you have chances. Of course he’s a great player. He has everything in the game. He can attack and defend. He has variation. He has that charisma that makes everyone like him. I like him also – I get along really good with him. He’s a great person and a great player, for sure it’s going to be one of the most difficult matches that I will have to play. 

You now have former World No. 19 Pablo Cuevas as part of your team. He was an incredible talent. What does it mean to have him on your team? 

He’s unbelievable. Unbelievable as a player, and as a person. In December we were looking with my coach Nico (Nicolas Pastor) to add to the team. He brought Pablo to the table. I didn’t even think of him. I saw him as a player, not as a coach. 

We started talking, end of December and the start of January. He really liked the project, but he also has some things scheduled for this year, because it was a bit last-minute. So he is going to travel with me some weeks. He was in South America, and I think he’ll come to Monte-Carlo and the clay season in Europe at the beginning. Super happy we worked together for two weeks before the South American swing, and I really liked him. We get along well – it was a good add to the team. 

Are there specific things that you are working on with Pablo?

Of course it is great to have another ex-player on the team, who has a different vision of tennis, of the players. How he sees the game and how he sees my game, and what I need to improve, and what I’m doing well. It’s great to have a former top player that really understands the top level and is really passionate about tennis. 

What does it mean to you personally to be the No. 1 Argentine? 

Being Argentinian No. 1, now it’s not something that I really look to. It’s fantastic to be No.1. Some years ago, two or three years ago when I reached this ranking as No. 1 in Argentina for the first time, it was one of my goals, and I was super proud of myself for being the No.1 in Argentina and in South America. It’s not that I got used to it but it’s not really my goal to be No. 1 in Argentina, my goal is to improve and keep climbing in the ranking. 

Do you see yourself being in the Top 10 down the road, do you feel you have that potential?

Now I am near the Top 25, I want to be back in the Top 20 again, and once I have been there I am really working hard to break into the Top 15 and Top 10 one day. I think I have the potential, but I have to be more consistent. I think this year I started pretty well – more solid than other years, so hopefully I can keep the level during the whole year and not just some matches. 

Do you think that’s what it is, the difference between Top 20 and Top 10 – consistency? 

Consistency and good level of course. Trying to adapt your game when you don’t have good matches, to find solutions. The big players, when they don’t play well they find a way, always, to win the match or to play a little bit better or to win playing badly. Having other options, and playing the big points and important points really well, so it’s a combination of all of that.

One of the most incredible matches I watched last year was your Round of 16 clash with Novak Djokovic at Roland-Garros. I know it was disappointing to lose, but are there lessons? How does that match live in your mind? 

Of course it hurt a lot at the beginning. I was super sad in a way. I was really close, it was a battle. We fought for almost five hours there. It was going to be probably the best victory of my career, reaching quarterfinals in Paris. 

But after some days, some weeks, some months of recovering from that match, I grew a lot. I improved a lot as a player, and got so much experience and positive things from that match, because I think I played a good match against probably the best player in history, so yes, at the beginning it was really tough for me because I was super close, but then I think I took a lot from that match. 

After a few months? 

Yes, after a few months, because it was tough.