Jannik Sinner, the world number one, suffered a surprising second-round exit at Roland Garros 2026, losing to Juan Manuel Cerundolo after leading by two sets. The Italian star admitted his defeat stemmed from a severe lack of sleep and depleted energy even before the match. "I didn't sleep well last night and was completely drained of energy", Sinner stated. "Things like this happen at a Grand Slam; you have days when you don't feel perfect. I started feeling dizzy from the third set".

Sinner initially dominated the match on Philippe Chatrier court on 28/5, easily winning the initial two sets and taking a 5-1 lead in the third. However, he unexpectedly lost his rhythm, dropping 15 consecutive points to Cerundolo and showing signs of physical distress. Battling heatstroke symptoms and cramps, the 24-year-old player secured only two of the final 20 games, ultimately losing 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 1-6, 1-6.

Sinner experienced physical issues during his match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round of Roland Garros, on Philippe Chatrier court, Paris, France on 28/5. *Photo: Reuters*

Sinner also attributed his lack of recovery time to playing a late-night session in the first round, as that match concluded late. This left him with less preparation for his second-round fixture, which began at 12 PM (Paris time) as the opening fixture on Philippe Chatrier court. Despite frequently experiencing physical difficulties in hot weather, Sinner contended that the court temperature, which exceeded 33 degrees Celsius, was not the primary reason for his unexpected collapse. "It was hot, but not like the intense heat in Australia or the humid heat in Shanghai", Sinner added. "I wasn't exhausted due to the heat. I simply hadn't felt well since early morning. I had to try and shorten rallies as much as possible".

The Italian revealed that after losing the third set, he intentionally "eased off" somewhat in the fourth set to conserve energy for the deciding set, but this strategy proved unsuccessful. "I slightly 'let go' of the fourth set to save energy for the fifth", he explained. "However, losing the first game in the final set was a major turning point. I genuinely had no energy left. I don't recall the last time I felt so weak". He expressed regret, noting he had played exceptionally well for nearly the initial three sets. "I am very sad because I performed excellently for two and a half sets", Sinner commented on the match where he lost after leading 6-3, 6-2, 5-1.

Sinner received medical attention, applying ice to his face, during his match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round of Roland Garros, on Philippe Chatrier court, Paris, France on 28/5. *Photo: Reuters*

Sinner's 30-match winning streak ended with his loss. When questioned if his physical decline was due to an excessive schedule since the beginning of the year, Sinner maintained he had no regrets about participating in all three European clay court Masters 1000 tournaments before Roland Garros. "Nobody knows if I would have rested more and still gotten sick when I arrived here", he responded. "I look at the positives: I won three very important tournaments. Roland Garros was my primary goal this year, and I never expected to lose like this; it's truly painful. Now I need to recover both physically and mentally". Sinner will now take an extended break following his surprising elimination from Roland Garros 2026, having decided not to compete in any tournaments before Wimbledon. The grass court Grand Slam is scheduled from 29/6 to 12/7.

Vy Anh