Argentine tennis player Francisco Cerundolo was battling through his own French Open match Thursday when spectators began yelling news from an adjacent court – his younger brother was pulling off a massive upset against the world’s top-ranked player Jannik Sinner.
During breaks in play, fans shouted to the 25th-seeded Francisco that his brother was winning as Juan Manuel Cerundolo staged an incredible comeback against the four-time Grand Slam champion.
“‘Your brother is winning, your brother is winning,’” Francisco recalled hearing from the crowd during towel breaks while Juan Manuel was mounting his stunning rally against Sinner.
Francisco managed to overcome his own deficit, defeating French player Hugo Gaston 2-6 6-4 6-2 6-1 to advance to the third round. Meanwhile, Juan Manuel completed a remarkable turnaround from two sets down to defeat Sinner 3-6 2-6 7-5 6-1 6-1.
The loss snapped Sinner’s 30-match winning streak and dashed his hopes for a first French Open championship and career Grand Slam.
The Italian player had entered the tournament in Paris as the heavy favorite following Masters victories at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome this season. However, the top seed appeared to struggle physically after holding a 5-1 advantage in the third set.
Speaking in a Spanish-language interview with ESPN after his own third-round advancement, Francisco said he slowly pieced together what was happening on the neighboring court.
“I had no idea,” Francisco explained. “I was suffering in my own match and people kept telling me, ‘Your brother won, your brother won.’”
“And I was thinking, ‘Damn it, now I have to win too because I can’t fail now.’”
Francisco, who holds two career victories over Sinner, said he initially believed Juan Manuel was headed for elimination after family members had divided their attention between courts earlier in the day.
“I looked up and my family still wasn’t there,” he said. “I asked what happened and they told me he was two sets to one down. I said, ‘Okay, good, he’s fighting.’”
Juan Manuel, currently ranked 56th globally, turned the match around after Sinner began struggling physically late in the third set and deteriorated significantly from that point forward.
Francisco said the brothers plan to celebrate together after both reached the French Open third round for the first time in their careers.
“It’s more than a dream,” he said. “A huge pride for all the family.”
