Juan Manuel Cerundolo stunned World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in a dramatic five-set encounter at Roland Garros. The Argentine produced one of the standout results of this French Open, as he eliminated the favourite Sinner in the second round of the Grand Slam. He arrived at the Philippe-Chatrier court on Thursday, aware of the scale of the challenge, with Sinner entering the match on a 30-match winning streak. At one point, the game even seemed close to over, but what followed was a Tennis classic.ย
Notably, for much of the contest, the match followed expectations, with Sinner taking command in the opening two sets and maintaining control deep into the third. At that stage, the outcome appeared to be heading toward a routine finish for the top seed. However, the momentum shifted when Sinner began to struggle physically, showing visible signs of cramping as his level dropped sharply.ย
Cerundolo seized the opening and transformed the contest, recovering from 2-5 down in the decisive phase to dominate the closing stretch. He won 17 of the next 19 points to complete a comeback that will define his career. The final scoreline read 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 in favour of the Argentine, marking the biggest victory of his professional journey so far.
Cerundoloโs background and journey
Cerundolo comes from a tennis family, with his father Alejandro having played professionally in the 1980s. His brother Francisco is also competing at the French Open, entering the tournament as the No. 25 seed. He began playing tennis at the age of three and has often spoken about his admiration for Rafael Nadal, particularly drawn to the Spaniardโs style and competitiveness on clay. His preference for the surface has been reflected in his strongest performances on tour.
“I’m gonna keep trying to play my best, of course it’s a tournament. I really like to play because of the clay is my best surface, so I hope to be ready for the next match,” said Cerundolo after the win.ย
The win moves him from a ranking of 56 closer to a potential place inside the ATP top 50, marking another step forward in his rise on the tour. He had previously faced Sinner at Wimbledon 2023, where he suffered a defeat.
Cerundoloโs breakthrough on the ATP Tour came in Cordoba in 2021, where he emerged from qualifying and won the title in his main-draw debut. He later reached another final in Gstaad, finishing runner-up to Alexander Bublik.
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