Jannik Sinner's dream of completing the career Grand Slam came crashing down in spectacular fashion Thursday at Roland Garros, as the world No. 1 suffered one of the most shocking upsets in French Open history.
The Italian top seed was eliminated in the second round by Argentina's Juan Manuel Cerundolo, ranked 56th in the world, losing 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 after leading by two sets and holding a commanding 5-1 advantage in the third set.
What started as a routine afternoon for Sinner turned into a nightmare under the sweltering Parisian sun, with temperatures reaching 33°C (91.4°F) on Court Philippe-Chatrier. The 24-year-old Italian was cruising through the first two sets in less than 90 minutes, appearing untouchable as he had been for months.
Then everything unraveled. Serving for a straight-sets victory at 5-1 in the third set, Sinner began to cramp and lost 15 straight points to Cerundolo, according to Yahoo Sports. The physical breakdown was so severe that Sinner grabbed his back before a serve and was granted a controversial medical timeout—despite rules typically prohibiting timeouts for cramping.
"After losing 15 straight points to Juan Manuel Cerundolo, Sinner grabbed his back before a serve," Yahoo Sports reported. TNT analyst Jim Courier criticized the decision on the broadcast, calling it "absolute baloney" and arguing that "the rules are being bent for the top players."
The timeout did little to help Sinner, who returned to court visibly depleted. Cerundolo seized the momentum, winning six straight games to take the third set 7-5 and extend the match. From there, the Argentine completely dominated, taking the fourth set 6-1 and closing out the victory with another 6-1 set in the decider.
"I don't remember the last time I felt this weak, but it is what it is," Sinner said in his post-match press conference. "I tried to stay there with all I had today, and this was the maximum I had. Of course, a pity because I was playing really well the first couple of sets."
The defeat ended Sinner's remarkable 31-match winning streak and marked his earliest exit from Paris since 2023. It also represents the first time since 2000 that the men's No. 1 seed has been eliminated before the third round at Roland Garros.
For Cerundolo, the victory represents the pinnacle of his career. The 25-year-old Argentine had never beaten a top-10 player before Thursday and had never reached the third round of a Grand Slam. After three hours and 36 minutes of tennis, he completed what he called "the comeback of his life."
"I'm super happy, I tried to play my best and I will keep trying to play my best," Cerundolo said after the match. "I wanted to play well here because it's my favourite surface and my favourite tournament. I hope to be ready for the next match."
The upset has blown the men's draw wide open. With Carlos Alcaraz absent through injury and Sinner eliminated, the path to the title has cleared significantly for the remaining contenders. Novak Djokovic now has a prime opportunity to claim his 25th Grand Slam title, while second seed Alexander Zverev seeks his first major championship.
Sinner acknowledged that his physical struggles began before he even stepped on court. "I felt this morning I didn't sleep very well," he admitted. "This morning when I woke up, I was struggling a bit, but this can happen. Usually in Grand Slams you have a couple of days where you don't feel perfect. This was today."
The Italian was philosophical about the defeat, switching to his native language to explain: "Today was really something different—I just couldn't pull myself out of these difficulties. Maybe sometimes I manage to get out of it a little better, to find other solutions. Today I had no energy. It can happen—no one is a robot, and no one is made to never make a mistake."
The controversy surrounding Sinner's medical timeout adds another layer to the upset. The situation mirrors a similar incident at the 2026 Italian Open, where Sinner was granted a timeout for cramping against Daniil Medvedev, prompting complaints from the Russian about preferential treatment for top players.
Cerundolo will face Spain's Martín Landaluce in the third round, who also came from two sets down to defeat Vít Kopřiva 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-0 in an equally dramatic comeback.
For Sinner, the loss represents a significant setback in his quest to add the French Open to his growing collection of titles. The world No. 1 had been in dominant form this season, winning six consecutive ATP Masters 1000 titles and looking virtually unbeatable on all surfaces.
But tennis, as Sinner learned the hard way Thursday, can be unforgiving. In the space of two hours, a routine victory became a career-defining defeat, and the 2026 French Open became wide open for a new champion to emerge.
