Jannik Sinner, the world number one was leading 6-3, 6-2, 5-1 before his body gave out in the Paris heat, handing Argentine qualifier Juan Manuel Cerundolo one of the most remarkable victories of his career, as he passes into the third round of the French Open.
Jannik Sinner’s bid to complete the career Grand Slam is over for another year after a dramatic physical collapse in the searing heat of Roland Garros on Thursday. It saw the Italian world number one lose 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 to Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo in one of the most stunning upsets in recent memory.
The 24-year-old Italian had been utterly dominant through the first two sets and the opening games of the third, building what appeared to be an unassailable 6-3, 6-2, 5-1 lead and seemingly on course to extend his 30-match winning streak. Then his body began to fail him. Cramps set in, he told his trainer he felt like vomiting, and he dropped three consecutive games before leaving the court for a medical timeout while serving at 5-4 down 0-40.
The break brought no recovery. Cerundolo, the world number 56, who had managed barely three games across the first two sets, seized on his opponent’s disintegration to win the third set and then dominate the fourth and fifth with a ruthlessness that belied the scoreline that had seemed inevitable an hour earlier.
“Hard to accept”
At his post-match press conference, Sinner declined to lay the blame entirely on the conditions. “Halfway through the third set, I had no energy left. I didn’t feel very good on the court. It was hot, but not terribly hot,” he said. “It’s sport. It can happen. Of course, it’s hard to accept, considering my position. But there’s time to recover. Now I really need to recover mentally too.”
Cerundolo was gracious in victory and visibly surprised at the scale of his achievement. “I couldn’t win more than three games in the first two sets. I was lucky. I’m sorry for Jannik — he deserves to win so many slams. I don’t know what happened: the cramps, the heat… I hope he can recover as soon as possible.”
Sinner had been the overwhelming favourite to add Roland Garros to his collection — he holds Australian Open titles from two successive years, plus the US Open and Wimbledon — and complete the career Grand Slam that has eluded him only in Paris. His exit dramatically reshapes the draw and significantly improves the prospects of Novak Djokovic, who is chasing a 25th Grand Slam title that would move him clear of Australia’s Margaret Court as the most successful player in the history of the sport.
Had the glorious run up to the French Open contributed to him.
