Little info

Cazaux is back after his elbow injury; his 2026 season starts tomorrow!

Hard to gauge Cazaux’s level. It’s nice to see him back already, but it’s hard to know where to place him. I didn’t find him particularly good at the end of last season; he played well in Challengers but didn’t really back it up afterwards. I’m reserving judgment, but we know he’s talented, his serve can protect him and he’s physically strong too. Great qualities, but a big lack of match rhythm and on top of that, a dangerous opponent! Because yes, even without the injury it wasn’t an easy draw for Cazaux. Young Zheng got a wildcard into this tournament and you can definitely say he deserves it with his good start to the season.

A Challenger semi-final and then a breakthrough at the Australian Open, he’s progressing well even if he’s still playing little on the main tour for now (still in college from what I understood). The talent is there, he’s a sharp tactician and defender, and he’s enjoyable to watch on top of having a great mindset. There’s not really any doubt about his current level, Zheng is in good form and physically ready; you can’t really say the same about Cazaux who’s just coming back. Logically, we’re leaning towards the American.