Sinner’s French Open title bid ends as heat forces medical intervention

Jannik Sinner’s pursuit of a maiden French Open title and a career Grand Slam concluded on Thursday following a five-set defeat to Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo. The match, which saw the world number one lose 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1, was defined by Sinner’s visible struggle with sweltering court conditions that reached 33 degrees Celsius.

Sinner began the second-round encounter with authority, winning the opening two sets comfortably and holding a 5-1 lead in the third. However, the momentum shifted as temperatures rose from an initial 29 degrees Celsius. Sinner was forced to request medical treatment off the court after dropping three consecutive games, a period during which he utilised ice bags around his neck and a hand-held fan during changeovers to manage the heat.

The physical toll of the conditions was evident as Sinner bent over in apparent exhaustion on the clay surface and reduced his movement. Adapting his tactics to conserve energy, he resorted to drop shots and serve-and-volley plays to shorten points. Despite these adjustments, he lost the next two sets and the deciding fifth set, ending a 30-match winning streak that had begun in February.

The defeat occurred against a backdrop of significant tournament changes, most notably the absence of two-time reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz, who withdrew due to an injury to his right wrist. Sinner had entered the tournament as the overwhelming favourite to complete his set of major titles, having previously secured victories at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.

This incident mirrors previous heat-related difficulties for Sinner, including a match against Eliot Spizzirri at the Australian Open in January, although that contest was played under a closed roof. The French Open’s clay courts, which demand greater physical exertion, combined with the extreme weather, proved decisive in halting Sinner’s bid for tennis’s ultimate achievement.