Sinner suffers shock French Open exit after physical collapse against Cerundolo

The Story

World No.1 Jannik Sinner was eliminated in the second round of the French Open on Thursday, losing to Juan Manuel Cerundolo after suffering from cramp and dizziness while leading by two sets. Sinner, who had won 30 consecutive matches, lost 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 4-6, 1-6 after being up 6-3, 6-2, 5-1 and serving for the match. The Italian said he woke up feeling unwell and had “no energy,” but downplayed the role of the Paris heat.

Key Facts

• Jannik Sinner, the world No.1 and top seed, lost to Juan Manuel Cerundolo (world No.56) in the second round of the French Open.
• Sinner was leading 6-3, 6-2, 5-1 and serving for the match before suffering a physical downturn, including cramp, dizziness, and nausea.
• He called for a medical timeout, received treatment, and left the court between sets, but could not recover and lost in five sets.
• Sinner stated he “did not feel well” upon waking, had “no energy,” and “hit a wall” during the third set.
• Both sources report Sinner said the temperature was “warm but not crazy warm” and that his struggles were “nothing against the heat, nothing against the weather.”
• Sinner was on a 30-match winning streak and had won the three clay-court Masters 1000 tournaments (Monte‑Carlo, Madrid, Rome) in 2026 before the French Open.
• Sinner defended his packed schedule, saying it was uncertain whether skipping Madrid or Rome would have changed the outcome.

Conflicting Reports

• The peak temperature during the match is reported differently: BBC News states temperatures “peaking around 34C,” while Sky Sports reports the temperature at the start was 29°C and later rose to 32°C.
• No other direct contradictions identified across sources.

Still Unclear

• Sky Sports reports that two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz missed the French Open due to an injured right wrist (single-source claim from Sky Sports).
• BBC News reports that former British No.1 Tim Henman suggested Sinner should have skipped either Madrid or Rome (single-source claim from BBC News).
• BBC News also reports that this was Sinner’s 12th defeat in 18 matches taken to a decider, and that he has never won a match over four hours in seven attempts (single-source claims from BBC News).
• Sky Sports reports that French 17-year-old Moise Kouame reached the third round, becoming the fifth-youngest man to do so in Grand Slam history (single-source claim from Sky Sports).
• The specific cause of Sinner’s physical collapse remains undetermined.

Misconceptions

No widespread misconceptions addressed in the sources.

Key Figures

• Jannik Sinner (Italy, world No.1)
• Juan Manuel Cerundolo (Argentina, world No.56)
• Carlos Alcaraz (Spain, two-time defending champion)
• Moise Kouame (France, 17-year-old wildcard)
• Tim Henman (former British No.1)

Sources: BBC News, Sky Sports