HSBC Championships 2026: Francisco Cerundolo vs Tommy Paul – Final preview, stats & how to watch
• 2 minute read
The final is set for the HSBC Championships men’s singles, with seventh seed Francisco Cerundolo taking on 2024 champion Tommy Paul for the Queen’s title.
Cerundolo will be playing in the biggest final of his career as he looks to add a second grass court title to his collection.
Meanwhile, Paul is now on a nine-match winning streak at The Queen’s Club and is set to compete in his fourth ATP final of the year already.
Here’s everything you need to know about Sunday’s HSBC Championships final.
Head-to-head
Cerundolo and Paul have played seven times, with the Argentine leading the head-to-head 5-2.
Three meetings have come on grass with Paul winning their first clash at Eastbourne in 2022.
The following year, Cerundolo beat Paul twice – once at Queen’s and then again a week later in the final of Eastbourne.
Paul hasn’t beaten the world No.27 since the Toronto Masters in 2024. Cerundolo came through their last meeting at the 2025 Miami Open 6-2, 7-6(4).
Paths to the final
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Francisco Cerundolo |
Tommy Paul |
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First round – bt. Aleksandar Kovacevic (USA) 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-2 |
First round – bt. Zachary Svajda (USA) 7-5, 6-3 |
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Second round – bt. Jenson Brooksby (USA) 6-0, 6-4 |
Second round – bt. Botic Van De Zandschulp (NED) 7-6(5), 6-3 |
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Quarter-final – bt. Arthur Fery (GBR) 7-6(1), 3-6, 6-4 |
Quarter-final – bt. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP) (4) 6-3, 7-6(4) |
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Semi-final – bt. Brandon Nakashima (USA) 7-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 |
Semi-final – bt Ugo Humbert (FRA) 6-3, 6-3 |
Grass court record
Cerundolo is 13-11 on grass throughout his career, with one title at Eastbourne in 2023. He's only reached the second round of Wimbledon once in 2023.
Paul is 37-18 in matches on grass courts during his career, including a title at Queen's in 2024. He's reached the fourth round of Wimbledon twice in 2022 and 2024.
Tournament stats
Cerundolo’s standout shot of the tournament so far has been his forehand and tops the leaderboard for shot quality.
The Argentine’s average forehand shot quality is at 8.2/10 compared to the draw average of 7.4.
It was in full display during his semi-final win over Nakashima – producing a series of special winners in the deciding third set.
Meanwhile, Paul has been one of the best movers on court this week, and it’s shown in his performances and the results so far.
In the semi-final against Humbert, his movement quality was 9.4/10, which is a serious weapon for the American, especially on grass when trying to defend.
How to watch the Queen’s tennis final
You can watch Francisco Cerundolo vs Tommy Paul in the final of the HSBC Championships at The Queen’s Club on the BBC, across BBC digital services and on Tennis Channel.
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