World No. 1 Yannick Sinner lost to 56th-ranked Argentine opponent Juan Manuel Cerundro at Roland Garros.
Published May 28, 2026
Jannik Sinner’s bid for a first French Open title and a career Grand Slam came to an end when he experienced physical problems in the second round against Juan Manuel Cerundro and lost 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1.
Sinner arrived in Paris as the favorite after winning clay court titles in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, but his main rival and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is out with injury and Novak Djokovic is searching for his best form.
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But in a dramatic clash on a scorching Thursday, Cerundro messed up the script and remained determined despite last year’s runner-up Sinner collapsing on the brink of a big win and sending shockwaves throughout Roland Garros.
With temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius for the first time in the afternoon, Sinner had already comfortably completed the first set after a solitary break, and the 24-year-old Italian appeared to be in cruising mode.
Cerundro put up some resistance towards the end of the second set, but the 56th-ranked Argentine had a mountain to climb after Sinner hit a stunning forehand winner to double his lead in the match, losing only five games.
The four-time Grand Slam champion cooled down with an ice towel during the break and added intensity to her unseeded opponent in the third set, taking a 5-1 lead, but stopped playing as she began to struggle on serve at 5-4.
Sinner returned from an off-court medical timeout five minutes later, but was immediately broken at 5-5 and dropped the next two games to hand the set to his opponent, who sensed an opportunity to pull off a major upset.
Still not at his best, Sinner “meekly” conceded the fourth set and was broken early in the decider as Cerundolo took full advantage and left the Grand Slam without a favorite.
