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Top-ranked professional tennis player Jannik Sinner was just one game away from defeating Juan Manuel Cerundolo in straight sets in the second round of the French Open on Thursday. Then the overwhelming heat of Paris took over and in the end the Italian saw his impressive winning streak snapped in surprising fashion.
Sinner came into Thursday’s match against the unseeded Argentinian on a 30-game winning streak dating back to February. In the early stages of the match, it looked like the 24-year-old was going to claim victory after winning the first two sets with ease and taking a 5-1 lead into the third.
Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts against Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina during the men’s singles second round match on day five of the 2026 French Open at Roland Garros on May 28, 2026 in Paris, France. (Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)
Then things changed, and quickly.
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Just minutes away from securing a straight-set victory, Sinner unthinkably lost 18 points in a row with the temperature, both literally and figuratively, rising on the court. Serving for the match at 5-4 in the third set, Sinner apparently couldn’t take it anymore, leaning abruptly on the court and being treated by medical personnel.
Sinner claimed he was feeling sick, which led to him being allowed to leave the court for a period of time to have his blood pressure taken. After returning to the court after what some might consider preferential treatment, he lost the set 7-5.
Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts against Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina during the men’s singles second round match on day five of the 2026 French Open at Roland Garros on May 28, 2026 in Paris, France. (Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)
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While dealing with cramps and clear heat exhaustion, he essentially went through the motions as he lost 18 of the match’s remaining 20 games, falling 6-1, 6-1 in the final two frames.
The temperature at the start of the Sinner-Cerundolo match was 84 degrees Fahrenheit before jumping to just over 90 degrees in the latter stages.
Jannik Sinner of Italy suffers pain during his five-set loss against Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina on Court Philippe Chatrier in the second round of the singles competition at the 2026 French Open Tennis Tournament at Roland Garros on May 28, 2026, in Paris, France. (Tim Clayton/Getty Images)
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Coming into the event, Sinner was the heavy favorite to make it through the Roland Garros draw and complete his career Grand Slam, especially considering Carlos Alcaraz was not competing due to injury. Now, he will have to wait another year to try to become the 10th male player to complete the career achievement.
Thursday’s loss was not the first time Sinner had to battle hard with high temperatures. In January, he came out on top against American Elio Spizzirri at the Australian Open. The roof of the arena finally closed during the third round match, and Sinner was able to win in four sets before finally falling to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.
