World number one Jannik Sinner crashed out of the French Open in stunning fashion on Thursday after surrendering a commanding lead to Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo in a marathon second-round clash in Paris.
Sinner, who arrived at Roland-Garros on a remarkable 30-match winning streak, appeared firmly on course for another comfortable victory after dominating the opening two sets and racing to a 5-1 advantage in the third set.
However, the Italian star suddenly struggled physically under the intense heat on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
The top seed began losing points rapidly and looked visibly uncomfortable as temperatures soared to 32 degrees Celsius.
During the match, Sinner complained of dizziness and told officials he felt like vomiting before requesting medical attention.
Despite receiving treatment and briefly leaving the court, the 24-year-old could not recover his rhythm as Cerundolo mounted an extraordinary comeback to win 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1.
“I was a little bit lucky, and I feel sorry for him,” Cerundolo said after the match.
“I don’t know exactly what happened.
”He was cramping, maybe because of the pressure. I really hope he recovers soon.”
The result marked Sinner’s earliest Grand Slam exit since the 2023 French Open and handed Cerundolo one of the biggest victories of his career.
The Argentine, ranked 56th in the world, advanced to the third round of a major tournament for the first time.
The sweltering weather conditions in Paris have continued to trouble players throughout the week.
Czech player Jakub Mensik reportedly collapsed with cramps after his match on Wednesday, while Novak Djokovic earlier suggested matches should begin later in the day to reduce the impact of the extreme heat.
Sinner became the latest high-profile casualty of the harsh conditions despite entering the tournament in dominant form after winning titles in Rome, Madrid, Monte Carlo, Miami and Indian Wells.
The Italian had looked untouchable in the opening stages of the contest and appeared set to cruise into the next round before his physical condition deteriorated dramatically.
He lost three straight games without winning a point and repeatedly bent over between rallies as exhaustion took hold.
After returning from medical treatment to loud applause from spectators, Sinner continued to struggle with movement and stamina.
Cerundolo capitalised on the situation, taking control of the match with aggressive baseline play and relentless energy.
Following another lengthy break, Sinner returned to the court visibly hampered, but the momentum had already shifted completely in favour of the Argentine.
Cerundolo remained composed in the deciding set and sealed the memorable victory with a superb forehand winner, sparking wild celebrations on the Paris clay.
“I tried to keep playing my best tennis,” Cerundolo added.
“Clay is my favourite surface and I hope to be ready for the next match.”
The Argentine would now face either Spain’s Martin Landaluce or Czech player Vit Kopriva in the third round on Saturday.
Elsewhere, Sinner’s fellow Italian Flavio Cobolli progressed comfortably into the third round for the second consecutive year after defeating China’s Wu Yubing 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
Cobolli is set to meet American player Learner Tien, who battled back from two sets to one down to defeat Argentina’s Facundo Diaz Acosta in a five-set encounter.
