- The Argentine and Czech players were the first guests on a new edition of Mextenis Talks! at the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel OPPO.
- On the Mextenis stage inside the Cabo Sports Complex, fans gathered to enjoy an in-depth discussion with the tournament’s top tennis player
- This weekend, the hosts of the Nothing Major podcast will also be on hand to share their experiences after retirement.
Los Cabos, July 28, 2026.—It’s already a tradition, and more and more tennis players are joining the Mextenis Talks! program. This live, in-front-of-an-audience interview format offers a glimpse into the other side of the athletes’ lives—not just the highlights of their careers, but also what they’re like as people off the court.
Brothers on the ATP Tour
The first player to take part in this year’s edition—marking the 10th anniversary of the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel OPPO—was Argentina’s Francisco Cerúndolo, ranked No. 20 in the world, who is visiting Mexico for the first time and spoke in depth about his relationship with his brother Juan Manuel, also a professional tennis player.
“It’s really nice to be able to spend time with my brother on the tour. Tennis is a very individual sport where you spend a lot of time alone traveling the world, so having him now that he’s ranked in the world’s top 50 is incredible because we get to play in more tournaments together,” revealed the 27-year-old player.
He says that even though they have a great relationship, it’s not easy to play against his brother, since both want to win but don’t want the other to lose. They’ve only faced each other once on the ATP Tour, but their best moment came this year at the French Open when the younger Cerúndolo pulled off an upset by defeating Italy’s Jannik Sinner in the second round.
“This year’s Roland Garros was a unique moment for him and the whole family—to beat the world No. 1 at a Grand Slam, on center court… We were both playing at the same time; our family was there and was supposed to split their attention between us, but in the fourth set I noticed no one from my family was coming over—either nobody loved me or something was going on—until they started shouting at me from the stands that my brother was winning. It was a total mix of emotions, and luckily I ended up winning too.”
Coffee, savory food, the beach, nights out, being invisible, winning 6-0, and clay-court tennis summed up his preferences. Fran is a fan of River Plate in Buenos Aires, where he also studied and was just eight courses away from graduating when he decided to devote himself entirely to tennis once he started doing well. He says that college tennis is growing a lot and advises students to study alongside their tennis as much as possible.
A Natural Passion
The top seed in the ATP 250, Czech player Jiri Lehecka, was also a special guest, as he has rarely given this type of interview. The world No. 12 comes from a family of athletes—his father was a swimmer, his mother an athlete—and he left home at age 15 to pursue his career in the sport.
“I chose that path; when I was even younger, we’d travel together for a couple of weeks to see where I might end up. They were my best friends, they were a huge support, and I knew I’d see them again during the holidays.”
As for why she decided to play tennis, she says it came naturally: “My grandparents played tennis, and I even watched my older sister play—she did it for fun, but I wanted to do the same as her, so I picked up a racket. We had two courts near our house, and it’s been part of my life ever since.”
Now 24 years old and with two career titles under his belt, the first moment he knew he could do this professionally “was when I was selected for the national under-14 team. I carried the flag, I was representing my country, and I knew I was good.”
Reflecting on his early days, he shared, “My parents wanted me to be active—not necessarily in tennis. The decision to play tennis came naturally; they never forced me. I always enjoyed it and loved it. I never had ambitions to be No. 1—I think that was healthy. They always supported me, and I never felt any pressure. I’m happy with the decision I made, and for me, the most important thing is to learn and improve myself. My goal is to keep improving.”
“Mextenis Talks!” offers the public a unique opportunity to see how tennis players live their lives beyond the sport. At the end of each interview, viewers could ask the players questions and gain an even deeper insight into the world of professional tennis.