PARIS – The French Open witnessed a major upset on Thursday as tournament favorite Jannik Sinner suffered a shocking second-round elimination, losing to Juan Manuel Cerundolo 3-6 2-6 7-5 6-1 6-1 after dealing with physical difficulties during their match.
The Italian player had entered the tournament as the top contender for the championship, having captured recent claycourt victories in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome. With defending titlist Carlos Alcaraz sidelined due to injury and Novak Djokovic still finding his rhythm, expectations were high for Sinner’s first French Open crown and potential career Grand Slam.
However, Cerundolo completely changed the narrative in a stunning turnaround that sent waves of surprise throughout Roland Garros, maintaining his composure while last year’s finalist faltered just as victory seemed within reach.
With afternoon temperatures soaring above 30 degrees Celsius for the first time during the tournament, Sinner had dominated early play, capturing the opening set with a single service break. The 24-year-old Italian appeared to be cruising toward an easy victory.
Though Cerundolo showed some fight late in the second set, the 56th-ranked player from Argentina faced an uphill battle after Sinner delivered a powerful forehand winner to claim a commanding two-set advantage, having dropped just five games total.
The four-time Grand Slam winner used an ice towel during the break and increased pressure on his unseeded rival in the third set, building a 5-1 lead before encountering difficulties and stopping play while serving at 5-4.
Following a five-minute medical timeout away from the court, Sinner returned but was immediately broken to even the score at 5-5, then lost the following two games to surrender the set to Cerundolo, who recognized his opportunity for a massive upset.
With his condition still compromised, Sinner easily gave up the fourth set and suffered an early break in the final set, allowing Cerundolo to capitalize fully and eliminate the tournament’s top seed from the Grand Slam event.
