Jannik Sinner, World No. 1, Suffers Shocking Second-Round Defeat at Roland Garros
Jannik Sinner, the world’s number 1 player, suffered a stunning upset in the second round of the Roland Garros tournament, losing to Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, 56th in the ATP rankings, 3 sets to 2, with a score of 3/6, 2/6, 7/5, 6/1 and 6/1. The match started favorably for the Italian, who dominated the first two sets, but ultimately succumbed to a comeback after passing out and requiring medical attention during the third set. This result is one of the main impacts of the second week of the tournament, where Cerúndolo now faces the American Zachary Svajda, 85th in the world, in the next round.
The Roland Garros championship was seen as an open path for Sinner, especially after the injury of his main rival, Carlos Alcaraz, but Cerúndolo was able to change the course of the match by capitalizing on the decline in Sinner’s performance. The turnaround in the match was a result of the difficulties Sinner faced, including physical problems that prevented him from continuing to play, allowing the Argentine to grow in the game and take advantage of the opportunity.
In addition, the intense heat in Paris was an additional factor that contributed to the exhaustion of the Italian, who ultimately lost on Thursday (28/5).
Sinner arrived in the match with a historic record, having lost no games in the last 30 games, since losing to Mensik, and having won the last five tournaments he played in. Plus, the world’s number 1 was not beaten by a player outside the top 50 since August 2023. The match showed the Argentine’s reacting power and also how fragile Sinner is, with the elimination still in the second round of a tournament regarded as his favorite.
Cerúndolo now faces Zachary Svajda in the next round and may show the world their resources and resistance in the fight for one of the biggest tennis trophies.
