Sinner admits 'no energy' in French Open shock exit, rejects heat blame
Italian star cites sudden physical collapse and dizziness rather than Paris weather for second-round defeat at Roland Garros.
World number one Jannik Sinner has been eliminated from the 2026 French Open in the second round following a shock defeat to Juan Manuel Cerundolo, ending a 30-match winning streak. The Italian, who entered the match as the heavy favourite and had won his previous meeting with Cerundolo at Wimbledon in 2023, led 5-1 in the third set before suffering a dramatic physical downturn. The loss marks the first time since the 2023 French Open that Sinner has failed to reach the second week of a Grand Slam.
Sinner, who had dominated the men’s tour in recent months, was on the verge of victory when he began to struggle physically. After dropping just eight games in his opening round win, he appeared commanding against Cerundolo until he laboured around the court, lost three successive games, and called for the trainer. He reported feeling dizzy and stated he wanted to vomit, taking a mid-game medical timeout before leaving the court at the end of the third and fourth sets.
Despite temperatures in Paris peaking around 34C, Sinner explicitly rejected the notion that the weather was the primary cause of his defeat. "It was warm, but not crazy warm. I feel like it was quite OK to play," the 24-year-old said. "It was nothing against the heat, nothing against the weather. It was just me today, but it happens." He noted that he woke up feeling unwell and attempted to keep points short to conserve energy, but ultimately hit a wall.
The match, which lasted three hours and 36 minutes, saw Sinner lose 24 of the final 27 points after his lead. His performance statistics deteriorated sharply in the closing stages, with the Italian committing 43 of his 64 unforced errors in the final three sets. His first-serve percentage plummeted to 47% in the fourth set, and he won just 18 points across sets four and five.
Former British number one Tim Henman suggested on TNT Sports that Sinner’s packed schedule, including titles in Monte-Carlo, Madrid, and Rome, may have contributed to his fatigue. Sinner acknowledged the difficulty of looking back on his schedule, noting he won three tournaments on clay and 17 matches between April and May. However, he indicated he will not play again before his Wimbledon title defence begins on 28 June, stating he needs to "recover completely and mentally".
