How ‘Shark’ Francisco Comesana joined Nalbandian in Argentine history | ATP Tour

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How the ‘Shark’ Comesana joined Nalbandian in the history of Argentina

The 23-year-old has won four tour-level matches, all at Grand Slam level

August 30, 2024

Francisco Comesana defeated Ugo Humbert, number 17 in the PIF ATP Rankings, on Wednesday and fell on his back in celebration. But he soon went back, for two good reasons.

“The court was really hot!” he explained with a laugh after his victory on a day with temperatures close to 40-degrees Celsius. The second reason he got back on his feet was because of his mother, Adela.

Comesana’s second-round victory in her US Open debut was the perfect birthday present for her mother. He shouted ‘Happy birthday!’ before hugging Humbert in the net. After that, Comesana went to Court No. 7 and kissed Adela.

“I don’t think it has gone well for me to beat World No. 17,” said Comesana in Spanish. “I’m still thinking about my mother’s birthday which was very emotional. It’s really amazing that we can deal with this as a family. After suffering so much, we are all really happy.”

In July, the Argentine reached the third round at Wimbledon, where he opened the tournament by upsetting sixth seed Andrey Rublev. Now he’s back in the Round of 32, in only his second major.

Comesana is the second man from Argentina, and the first since David Nalbandian, to reach the third round in his first matches at Wimbledon and the US Open.

At that time, he did everything with his family by his side in New York. Joining him in Flushing Meadows are Adela and father Agustin, and Comesana’s brother Valentin.

The presence of family may cause more pressure, but Comesana believes there is nothing more satisfying than playing the tennis of her life in front of them in a tournament of this kind.

“It’s difficult when your family is in this competition. It’s starting to happen to me and I’m glad they can enjoy seeing me compete, but it’s not easy because I know they’re very emotional and nervous. All those emotions can disturb me, so I try not to see them when I compete,” said Comesana.

Playing for his family on the court, but also keeping them out of his mind was key to Comesana’s impressive week, which included a first-round win over Dominic Stricker of Switzerland. When Comesana played the second round, where she left the opening set, she preferred to pay attention to her coach, Sebastian Gutierrez, and the court advice he was giving.

“It’s crazy what we were doing with ‘Guti’. He tells me that he is confident and believes that I am here at this level. He is always on me to believe more,” said Comesana. “Today at the beginning of the game it was difficult, but he was saying: ‘Keep going, believe in yourself.'”

If there are moments of disbelief in him, the number 108 in the PIF ATP Rankings quickly overturns such thinking.

“Serving has always been one of my strengths, it helped me a lot at Wimbledon. Against Humbert, at first, it was not. But I started to believe, telling myself that it was my weapon. Then I started to gain more points and I started to be aggressive,” said Comesana.

By taking the advice of his coach, believing that he is part of this category, Comesana has started to improve. The newfound belief makes Comesana even more dangerous to his opponents, while doing justice to his nickname ‘El Tiburon’, which translates to ‘The Shark’.

“I like it more and more when you call me that because a shark is a scary animal,” said Comesana with a laugh.

Francisco Comesana is nicknamed, ‘Shark’.”>
^{Francisco Comesana is called, ‘The Shark’. Credit: Buenos Aires Challenger}

The nickname is a tribute to the Argentinian football club Aldosivi, which boasts a shark on its shield. Comesana, who first broke into the Top 100 in April, is a fan of Aldosivi.

Comesana will need to summon the fearsome spirit of the shark in his next clash with home favorite Taylor Fritz, who is No. 12 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

“It will be a game to continue to fight and compete 100 percent, but also to have fun because I am sure that I will get a big stage,” said Comesana. “I will go out and do my best.”

His family’s vacation plans, which include a trip to the Manhattan area, will be put on hold because ‘The Shark’ is still active.

“I was clear when I told them to come to New York, that I wasn’t coming here on vacation!” Comesana said.

Editor’s note: This story was translated from ATPtour.com/es.