Paris, 28 May 2026
Top seed Jannik Sinner crashed out of the French Open on Thursday after a severe physical breakdown in sweltering heat, losing 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 1-6, 1-6 to Argentine Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
A Sudden Collapse Under the Paris Sun
The 24-year-old Italian, who entered the match on a 30-match winning streak, had looked untouchable as he raced through the first two sets and built a commanding 5-1 lead in the third. But under the intense midday sun, with temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius, Sinner's body began to fail him.
Sinner lost 15 consecutive points before taking a medical timeout at 5-4 and 0-40 in the third set. He told the physiotherapist he felt "sehr schwindelig" (very dizzy) and informed the umpire he was dehydrated and needed to vomit.
After the medical timeout, the world number one was a shadow of the player who had dominated the early stages. He won only two more games in the entire match as Cerundolo seized his opportunity.
The Argentine, ranked 56th in the world, kept his composure and converted his first match point after three hours and 36 minutes. "It is hard for him. I feel sorry for Jannik. I hope he recovers quickly," Cerundolo said afterwards.