Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1 and overwhelming favorite, faced a monumental and shocking second-round loss at the French Open on Thursday, falling to Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, ranked 56th, with a score of 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1. The defeat was particularly tough for Sinner to accept, given his incredible form and a remarkable 30-match winning streak leading into the tournament. Many expected him to secure his first French Open title and become only the second man in history, after Novak Djokovic, to win every significant annual title, including all four Grand Slams and nine Masters 1000 events, the ATP Finals, and the Davis Cup. With last year's champion Carlos Alcaraz sidelined by a wrist injury, Sinner's path seemed clear.

The match began with Sinner appearing to cruise to victory, taking the first two sets comfortably and establishing a dominant 5-1 lead in the third set. However, just four points away from an uneventful win, the Italian’s body began to betray him. He started shaking out his legs and stumbling between points, rapidly losing his ability to move effectively on the court. From that commanding 5-1 lead, Sinner dramatically lost 18 points in a row and five consecutive games, shifting the momentum entirely. During this sequence, he received a medical evaluation and even asked the umpire if he could leave the court to vomit, indicating the severity of his distress.

Sinner later explained his physical struggles, stating, “Woke up this morning, didn’t feel very well and tried to keep the points very short. Also in the beginning I was hitting very clean, very good, and then I just kind of hit the wall, and that’s it.” He denied that the Paris heat, which reached 32°C, was the primary factor, clarifying, “It was warm but not crazy warm. I feel like it was quite OK to play. Really it was nothing against the heat, nothing against the weather. It was just me today, but it happens.” His symptoms included feeling dizzy and low on energy. After losing the third set, he received further medical attention, with minerals added to his drink, but he was unable to recuperate fully.

This isn't Sinner's first encounter with heat-related or physical challenges on court. He had previously admitted to being fortunate at the Australian Open in January when the roof was closed during a match against Eliot Spizzirri, which swung in his favor. Moreover, he had to retire from a match in Shanghai in October amidst extreme heat. On the same court in Paris last year, Sinner famously squandered three match points against Carlos Alcaraz in an epic final loss.

Cerúndolo, Sinner’s opponent, showed empathy for the situation, offering a subdued celebration. “It’s tough for him,” Cerúndolo remarked. “I couldn’t win more than three games by set. So I think I was a little bit lucky. He was deserving to win in this match. But then I don’t know what happened. I feel sorry for him and hope he recovers.”

Sinner’s unexpected demise has thrown the men’s singles draw wide open. Alexander Zverev, the second seed, now emerges as the new favorite in his quest for a maiden Grand Slam title. This also presents a significant opportunity for Novak Djokovic, who is chasing an open-era record-extending 25th Grand Slam title at 39 years old. Djokovic is the only former Grand Slam champion remaining in the draw, setting the stage for either his historic 25th major or a new champion.

For Sinner, after such a demanding and successful period, his failure to perform at the biggest clay tournament is devastating. He acknowledged, “I think many things together caused this problem today, but again, it can happen. I just need my time now to process what went wrong here and also that we can put in good practice weeks before Wimby.” His team will likely evaluate whether withdrawing from one of the clay Masters 1000 events earlier could have ensured his freshness for Paris. Looking ahead, Sinner plans to recover completely, both physically and mentally, and then prepare for Wimbledon, followed by important tournaments like Montreal, Cincinnati, and the US Open.

In other French Open action, 17-year-old French sensation Moise Kouame continued his impressive breakthrough, recovering from a break down to win the first five-set match of his career, defeating Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8) in nearly five hours. Kouame is now the youngest man to reach the third round of a Grand Slam since Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2003. Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka advanced to the third round for the first time since 2018, beating Donna Vekic 7-6 (1), 6-4. Coco Gauff also progressed, swatting aside Mayar Sherif 6-3, 6-2, and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka beat local favorite Elsa Jacquemot 7-5, 6-2 to set up a third-round clash with former semi-finalist Daria Kasatkina.