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Jannik Sinner is out of Roland Garros. The world No. 1, on a 30-match winning streak and the overwhelming favorite for the only major missing from his collection, led Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the first two sets. However, the Paris heat didn’t let the Italian get back on his feet as Cerundolo swooped in to take Sinner out 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1.

Sinner started showing signs of distress from the third set of the match. It looked like an easy win for the Italian when he led 5-1 in the third set. But just then, he felt dizzy and in discomfort, which led him to take prolonged pauses between rallies. He lost 15 straight points, then grabbed his back before a serve. The umpire entered the playing area out of concern and had a brief exchange before he was warned about a time violation, as his pauses were causing significant hindrance in the progression of the match.

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He informed the umpire that he was worried about becoming dehydrated and was escorted off the pitch for medical attention. 

The timeout immediately drew controversy, especially due to it coming during a time Cerundolo led the game 0-40. Jim Courier, the two-time Roland Garros champion and TNT analyst, was scathing: “Clearly cramps… they’re making exceptions to the rules for the top players. This is absolute baloney.” 

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The situation mirrored an almost identical episode at the Italian Open, where Sinner was granted a timeout during his match against Medvedev for the same issue. Medvedev complained on court that day and later called for a rule change to allow on-court treatment for cramps rather than leaving the court entirely. In Rome, Sinner recovered and won. The interruption in Paris had no impact. 

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Cerundolo won the third set 7-5 and never looked back. Sinner sank to his knees after almost every point in the fourth and fifth sets, winning just two games across them combined. Cerundolo’s physicality never wavered. His slice, his serve, and his calmness were surgical enough against a Sinner who barely moved. Cerundolo broke him to love in the final game to seal a 6-1 fifth set, completing the biggest win of his career. 

The scale of what this means is difficult to overstate. Sinner had arrived in Paris as the most overwhelming favorite, having five Masters titles in 2026 alone, the Career Golden Masters completed, a Career Grand Slam within reach. Carlos Alcaraz’s injury meant the draw was now open. It brings an end to a 31-match winning streak and is the largest upset of the tournament. Roland Garros, the one Grand Slam he had never won, remains exactly that. 

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Prem Mehta

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Prem Mehta is a Tennis Journalist at EssentiallySports, contributing athlete-led coverage shaped by firsthand competitive experience. A former tennis player, he picked up the sport at the age of seven after watching Roger Federer compete at Wimbledon, a moment that sparked a long-term commitment to the game. Ranked among the Top 100 players in India in the Under-14 category, Prem brings a grounded understanding of tennis at the grassroots and developmental levels. His sporting background extends beyond the court, having also competed in district-level cricket, giving him exposure to high-performance environments across disciplines. Prem transitioned from playing to writing to remain closely connected to the sport beyond competition. Before joining EssentiallySports, he worked as a Tennis Analyst at Sportskeeda, covering major ATP and WTA events while tracking trends across both Tours. His coverage centres on match analysis, player narratives, and opinion-led pieces that balance data with intuition. With an academic background in psychology and a strong interest in sport psychology, Prem adds contextual depth to moments of pressure and decision-making, offering readers insight into what unfolds between the lines as much as what appears on the scoreboard.

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