Jannik Sinner is out of the French Open after a five-set defeat to Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round, a result shaped by injury struggles in difficult conditions in Paris.
World number one Sinner entered the tournament as the leading favourite for the men’s title, having dominated on clay in recent weeks and arriving with a 30-match winning streak. He was chasing a career Grand Slam at Roland Garros, but his campaign ended earlier than expected.
He had been two sets and 5-1 up before the match shifted. Sinner then lost three straight games, including 11 consecutive points, before calling for the trainer.
Sinner could be heard saying he felt “dizzy” and like he “wanted to vomit” and took a mid-game medical timeout before returning to court.
After dropping the third set, Sinner was unable to recover physically as Cerundolo completed a 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 comeback.
The match was played in extreme heat in Paris, with temperatures above 34 °C, conditions that have previously troubled Sinner.
He had also been dealing with fitness concerns in recent months, including cramping in Melbourne earlier in the season, and arrived in Paris having managed a heavy schedule across hard and clay courts.
Sinner started strongly, taking the opening two sets while facing only one break point, but the momentum shifted as his movement dropped and his shot speed reduced.
Where he had controlled rallies early on, he began struggling to push off and chase down shots. He was seen walking around the baseline, shaking out his legs as the physical issues became clearer.
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At 5-4 in the third set, serving for the match, Sinner went three break points down and then doubled over before calling for the trainer.
He took a medical timeout and returned, but was no longer able to compete at his earlier level.
Cerundolo stayed composed through the turnaround, taking the third and fourth sets before racing into a 4-0 lead in the fifth.
Sinner received support from the crowd and his coaching box, and briefly held serve to end a run of 18 lost games, but Cerundolo closed out the match on his next service game.
The defeat marks Sinner’s first loss since February and his first on clay this season.
The exit opens up the men’s draw, with Novak Djokovic now among the leading contenders for a record 25th Grand Slam title.
Cerundolo advances to face either Martin Landaluce or Vit Kopriva in the third round.
