World No. 1 Jannik Sinner suffered a shock exit from the French Open after losingย 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 1-6 and 1-6 to Argentinaโs Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round at Roland Garros on Thursday.
Sinner appeared to be in complete control early in the contest after racing to a two-set lead, but the match turned dramatically as the Italian struggled physically in the Paris heat. Cerundolo capitalised on the momentum shift and produced a spirited comeback to eliminate the tournament favourite.
The Italian had entered the French Open on the back of strong form and was widely considered one of the leading contenders for the title, especially with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz ruled out with injury. Jannik, in the meantime, had cruised through his opening-round match and arrived in Paris carrying a lengthy winning streak.
However, the extreme conditions in Paris appeared to trouble the top seed during the latter stages of the match. Sinner was forced to take a medical break while serving for the contest and looked increasingly uncomfortable as the match progressed. Cerundolo, on the other hand, stayed composed and continued to push the rallies deep from the baseline. The Argentine clay-court specialist gradually took control as Sinnerโs movement and consistency dropped significantly.
Meanwhile, the result marked one of the biggest upsets of the menโs draw so far and opened up the section considerably following the departure of the top seed.
Sinner had spoken before the match about adjusting to daytime conditions after previously playing night sessions earlier in the tournament. Temperatures in Paris crossed 30 degrees during the day, creating difficult conditions for several players across the event.ย
End of Sincaraz’s streak
Cerundoloโs victory continued an impressive run for the Argentine on clay this season. The 24-year-old has built a reputation as a dangerous opponent on the surface and once again showcased his resilience against one of the biggest names in menโs tennis. The defeat also ended Sinnerโs hopes of adding a maiden French Open title to his growing Grand Slam collection this year. This also ended Sinner and Carlos Alcarazโs streak of winning nine consecutive Grand Slams.ย
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