Francisco Cerundolo won the Queen's Club Championships in London on June 21, 2026, overcoming American Tommy Paul in a 3-hour 2-minute final, the longest in the tournament's history [1, 2, 3, 4]. Cerundolo rallied from a set and break deficit and saved multiple match points en route to a 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-3 victory, marking his first ATP 500 title and the biggest win of his career [1, 2, 4].

The seventh-seeded Cerundolo, ranked world number 27, became the first Argentine to win the Queen's Club title [1, 2, 3]. Despite limited grass court experience prior to turning professional, he showed resilience and credited the crowd support for helping him persevere during the tight matches [5].

Cerundolo had played four of his five matches in deciding sets, spending over 11 hours and 30 minutes on court over the six-day tournament [1, 2]. The semifinal, played on June 20, saw him defeat American Brandon Nakashima 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 to reach his first ATP 500 final [6, 5, 7].

In the final, Cerundolo broke Paul's serve early but lost the opening set after failing to close it out on his serve [2, 4]. He bounced back in the next two sets, winning 6-4 and 6-3 largely with powerful forehand winners, tallying 27 winners in total [4]. The final was contested in warm conditions with a temperature around 29.5 degrees Celsius [4].

Cerundolo's father flew to London for the first time to watch his son play outside Argentina, coinciding with Father's Day. Cerundolo celebrated the milestone, saying, "It is the first time my dad takes a flight and it’s the first time he has watched me outside Argentina. I want to congratulate my dad for taking a plane. It’s Father’s Day, so this is for him." [2, 4]. Previously, Cerundolo’s father had never traveled by plane due to a phobia and only saw matches locally or at Davis Cup [2].

Paul, the 2024 Queen's Club champion, congratulated Cerundolo after the match, calling it "an unreal match" and saying, "you were the better player so I am happy for you." [2]

Cerundolo will look to build on this win as the grass court season continues. His next significant challenge will be the Wimbledon Championships, starting in early July.