PARIS — A player hasn’t arrived at Roland Garros with such immense anticipation to claim victory since Rafael Nadal’s 14-consecutive French Open triumphs.
Jannik Sinner, having dominated the tennis scene for the past three months with an impressive streak of five straight Masters 1000 titles — three of which were on clay — boasted an astonishing 30 consecutive match wins.
With his foremost competitor, Carlos Alcaraz, sidelined due to a right wrist injury, many believed it was almost certain that Sinner would lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires, completing his journey to a career Grand Slam.
However, Sinner’s unexpected collapse during the sweltering Paris heat wave on Thursday was nothing short of shocking — especially since he was just one game away from finishing his second-round match in straight sets, leading 5-1 in the third set.
The top seed experienced severe dizziness, succumbing to a surprising defeat against 56th-ranked Juan Manuel Cerundolo, with scores of 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 after squandering two opportunities to serve out the match.
“I didn’t feel well on the court,” Sinner admitted. “I was battling dizziness and a severe lack of energy. … I started strong, hitting cleanly, but then hit a wall.”
“I felt completely drained. I can’t recall the last time I felt this weak,” Sinner continued.
He mentioned that he did not feel quite right when he woke up on Thursday.
Sinner was seen bent over on the clay multiple times, visibly exhausted, and his movements slowed as the match progressed, opting for drop shots and serve-and-volley strategies to shorten the rallies.
During changeovers, he tried to keep cool with a handheld fan and placed ice packs around his neck.
The match commenced at a temperature of 29 degrees Celsius (84°F) and peaked at 32 degrees Celsius (90°F).
“It was warm but manageable,” Sinner stated. “I believe the conditions were fair for play. It wasn’t the heat that hindered me; it was simply my situation today, but these things happen.”
Cerundolo kept his celebration low-key after the victory, merely waving to the crowd.
“It’s hard for him,” Cerundolo acknowledged. “I couldn’t score more than three games in a set, so I guess I was a bit fortunate. … He deserved to win, but I’m not sure what shifted. … I hope he recovers soon.”
When Sinner served for the match for a second time at 5-4 in the third set, he doubled over at 0-40 and walked to his chair, requesting assistance before exiting the court, drenched in sweat in his light blue outfit.
Following a 7-5 loss in that set, Sinner received medical attention and left the court briefly. Although he returned with added minerals in his drink, he couldn’t regain his composure.
He ultimately lost 18 out of the final 20 games. When asked if he considered retiring before the match’s conclusion, Sinner acknowledged, “In a fifth set, anything can happen. I found myself in a difficult situation.”
His last defeat prior to this was on February 19 in the Qatar Open quarterfinals, during a time when he had claimed five consecutive Masters titles while only dropping three sets.
“We’ll certainly conduct tests to determine what transpired today,” he remarked.
“Here’s hoping we’ll be fit for Wimbledon,” Sinner added. “To be at our best there, we need to recover properly and take the right steps moving forward.”
However, Sinner has previously faced challenges in heat conditions. He noted that he was fortunate at the Australian Open in January against Eliot Spizzirri due to the roof being closed, allowing the match to swing in his favor. He also had to retire from a match in Shanghai amid extreme humidity.
“Shanghai was incredibly tough, and the humidity was unbearable. Australia was quite warm, but here, it was cookies and cream. I wouldn’t say I was dying from the heat; today was a completely different scenario,” Sinner elaborated.
“It’s difficult to swallow, especially given the position I was in,” he concluded, reflecting on his status as sportsbooks had listed him at approximately -300 to secure the tournament.
Last year, on the same Court Philippe Chatrier, Sinner squandered three match points against Alcaraz in a gripping final.
In other matches, 17-year-old French sensation Moise Kouame made history as the youngest male to reach the third round of a Grand Slam since a 17-year-old Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2003, triumphing over Adolfo Daniel Vallejo with scores of 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8).
Frances Tiafoe took nearly five grueling hours to edge past Hubert Hurkacz, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-7 (1), 6-4.
Additionally, Francisco Cerundolo, Juan’s older brother, defeated Hugo Gaston with scores of 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1.
Meanwhile, in the women’s segment, Naomi Osaka dazzled yet again with a stylish entrance before conquering Donna Vekic 7-6 (1), 6-4.
