Unexpected Defeat for Sinner at French Open
Prior to his surprising second-round exit at the 2026 French Open, only three players had managed to take a set off Jannik Sinner on clay that year. The world number one, who was widely regarded as the tournament favorite, revealed that he "could not find any energy" during his match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo, marking one of the most significant upsets in recent Roland Garros history. Despite the intense Paris heat, Sinner did not attribute his performance to the weather conditions.
Italy's Sinner entered the tournament on a 30-match winning streak, having dominated the men's tour in recent months. After a commanding first-round victory over Clement Tabur, where he lost just eight games, Sinner maintained strong form early against Cerundolo, taking the first two sets 6-3, 6-2 and leading 5-1 in the third set before experiencing a sudden physical decline.
The Italian visibly struggled on court, losing three consecutive games before requesting medical assistance. He reported feeling "dizzy" and "wanted to vomit." Sinner took a medical timeout mid-match and left the court at the conclusion of both the third and fourth sets but was unable to recover sufficiently, ultimately falling to world number 56 Cerundolo.
While several players have cited the unusually high temperatures in Paris, which peaked around 34°C, as a factor in their performances, Sinner minimized the impact of the heat on his condition.
"I had no energy today. That can happen. Nobody is a robot," Sinner said.
"I woke up this morning, didn't feel very well and tried to keep points very short.
"In the beginning I was hitting very clean, very good, and then I just hit a wall.
"I started feeling dizzy. Very low on energy. I tried to serve it out but I didn't have a lot of energy."
Although Sinner has previously struggled in extreme heat, notably during his third-round match against Eliot Spizzirri at the Australian Open earlier this year, he described this situation as "a completely different scenario."
"It was warm, but not crazy warm. I feel like it was quite OK to play," the 24-year-old stated.
"It was nothing against the heat, nothing against the weather. It was just me today, but it happens."
Hampered Sinner Out in Second Round in Seismic Shock
Another Fifth-Set Struggle for Sinner
After establishing a 5-1 lead in the third set, Sinner lost 24 of the next 27 points, marking a dramatic shift in momentum. This defeat represents the first time since the 2023 French Open that Sinner has failed to advance to the second week of a Grand Slam, and only the third occasion in that span where he has not reached at least the semi-finals.
Sinner had previously defeated Cerundolo in their only prior encounter, a straight-sets victory at Wimbledon in 2023. Cerundolo had never before beaten a player ranked inside the top 10.
The upset draws parallels to Rafael Nadal's fourth-round loss to Robin Soderling in 2009, which was Nadal's first defeat at Roland Garros in his fifth appearance. Like Sinner, Nadal had a demanding schedule leading up to the tournament, winning titles in Monte-Carlo, Barcelona, and Rome, and reaching the final in Madrid.
Ironically, Sinner was the heaviest favorite with bookmakers for the Roland Garros title since Nadal 17 years ago.
While the result was unexpected and a significant missed opportunity for Sinner to complete the career Grand Slam, concerns also arise regarding his consistency in five-set matches. Despite being hampered by illness in this match, his performance decline was pronounced.
As his movement deteriorated, Sinner resorted to aggressive shot-making but committed 43 of his 64 unforced errors in the final three sets. His first-serve percentage dropped to 47% in the fourth set, and he secured only 18 points across the fourth and fifth sets.
This loss marks Sinner's 12th defeat in 18 matches that extended to a deciding set, and his third such loss in the past year, following last year's French Open final against Carlos Alcaraz—where he squandered three championship points—and a semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open in January.
The match lasted three hours and 36 minutes, and Sinner has yet to win a match lasting over four hours in seven attempts.
Sinner Defends Packed Schedule
Sinner arrived in Paris in dominant form, unbeaten on clay and having won the previous five ATP Masters 1000 events. Between 7 April and 17 May, he won 17 matches to claim clay court titles in Monte-Carlo, Madrid, and Rome, dropping only three sets during this period.
He also became only the second man after Novak Djokovic to complete the career 'Golden Masters' by winning all nine ATP Masters 1000 titles at least once.
However, during his match against Cerundolo, Sinner showed signs of physical fatigue less than two hours into the contest, clutching his thigh midway through the third set. Despite receiving treatment, he continued to move cautiously, struggling to chase down shots and relying heavily on his racquet between points.
Following the loss, questions arose about Sinner's demanding schedule, which included deep runs to consecutive hard-court titles at Indian Wells and Miami in March.
Former British number one Tim Henman suggested on TNT Sports that Sinner might have benefited from skipping either Madrid or Rome.
"If I don't play Madrid or Rome, maybe I come here and I still have a day like this where you feel sick. Looking back it's always tough," Sinner added.
"I won three tournaments on clay. Incredible results. Amazing streak I've had.
"In the beginning of the year, this is my main goal here. A very early exit is not what I was looking for, but you also don't know if things would have changed if I would maybe skip Madrid and play only Rome."
Sinner indicated that he will not compete again before defending his Wimbledon title starting on 28 June, as he plans to "recover completely and mentally."
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