World number one Jannik Sinner suffered one of the most dramatic defeats of his career on Thursday after surrendering a two-set lead to crash out of the 2026 French Open in the second round.
The Italian, widely regarded as the overwhelming favourite for the Roland Garros title following Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal through injury, appeared to be cruising into the third round against Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo before a remarkable collapse in Paris.
Sinner dominated the opening exchanges, taking the first two sets 6-3, 6-2 and moving within one game of victory at 5-1 in the third set. However, the momentum shifted sharply as the top seed began struggling physically in the intense heat, eventually falling 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1.
The 24-year-old received medical attention during the match and later admitted he had felt unwell before stepping onto the court. Reports indicated he battled dizziness and fatigue as temperatures soared in the French capital.
Cerundolo, ranked 56th in the world, capitalised ruthlessly on Sinner’s decline to seal the biggest victory of his career and one of the tournament’s most shocking upsets in recent years.
The defeat also ended Sinner’s 30-match winning streak, which had included dominant triumphs at Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome earlier this season. The Italian entered Roland Garros in formidable form after producing one of the strongest ATP campaigns in recent memory.
Sinner had been attempting to win his maiden French Open title and complete a career Grand Slam. Instead, his early elimination has blown the men’s draw wide open, with Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and several younger contenders now viewed as leading threats for the crown.
Speaking after the match, Cerundolo acknowledged the scale of the upset and expressed sympathy for his opponent’s physical struggles, saying he hoped Sinner would recover quickly.
The result marks the first time in the Open Era that a top seed at the French Open has squandered such a commanding position before losing prior to the third round, further cementing the contest as one of the most astonishing turnarounds in the tournament’s history.