Jannik Sinner arrived at Roland Garros carrying the weight of expectation and the form of a champion. He left Court Philippe-Chatrier in disbelief. In one of the most dramatic collapses of the season, the world No. 1 saw his French Open dream unravel against Juan Manuel Cerundolo in a five-set defeat that stunned Paris.
For more than two sets, Sinner looked untouchable. The Italian moved with confidence, controlled the rallies, and appeared destined for the third round as he built a commanding 6-3, 6-2, 5-1 lead under the Paris heat.
Then everything changed.
The temperature climbed above 30 degrees Celsius, and Sinner’s body began to betray him. Courtside microphones captured the 24-year-old saying he felt dizzy and nauseous as he struggled to serve out the match.
He lost 18 consecutive points during one astonishing collapse. Bent over on the clay and gasping for energy, Sinner called for medical treatment before briefly leaving the court for checks.
When he returned, the rhythm was gone. So was the aura.
Cerundolo sensed the moment immediately. The Argentine, ranked No. 56 in the world, began stretching Sinner across the baseline with heavy topspin and clever drop shots. The longer the rallies became, the more the match tilted toward the underdog.
“It’s tough for him,” Cerundolo said after the match. “He deserved to win this match, and then I don’t know what happened. But I feel sorry for him and hope he recovers.”
The numbers only deepen the shock. Sinner had won 30 straight matches entering the tournament and was chasing the only Grand Slam title missing from his collection. With Carlos Alcaraz ruled out through injury, many believed the French Open trophy was finally his to claim.
Instead, the Italian exits in the second round, becoming the first men’s top seed to fall before the third round in Paris since Andre Agassi in 2000. It also ends a remarkable era of dominance between Sinner and Alcaraz, who had shared the last nine Grand Slam titles.
Sinner tried everything to survive. He wrapped ice around his neck during changeovers, used a handheld fan, and shortened points with serve-and-volley tactics. But his movement faded badly as the match wore on.
“I didn’t feel very well on court,” Sinner admitted. “I struggled, starting to feel very dizzy, very low on energy.”
The defeat also reopened painful memories on Philippe-Chatrier. Last year, Sinner let three championship points slip against Alcaraz in the final. This latest loss may hurt even more because victory looked certain.
For Cerundolo, though, it was the greatest moment of his career. The Argentine secured his first ever appearance in the third round of a Grand Slam and delivered the biggest upset of the 2026 tennis season.
As the Paris crowd rose to applaud both players, the atmosphere carried two emotions at once, joy for the outsider and heartbreak for the fallen favourite.
Roland Garros suddenly feels wide open again.
