Tennis Fans Stunned by World No. 1 Jannik Sinner's French Open Collapse
The world's No. 1-ranked tennis player, Jannik Sinner, is out after just the second round of the 2026 French Open. After winning the first two sets against No. 56-ranked Juan Manuel Cerundolo, 6-3 and 6-2, and leading 5-1 in the third set, Sinner, struggling with the heat, lost 18 points in a row to bring the set to 5-4.
The 24-year-old struggled the rest of the way, showing visible signs of cramps and dehydration. Cerundolo won the next three sets, 7-5, 6-1 and 6-1, to win the match. Sinner was the overwhelming favorite to win the French Open and complete his career Grand Slam. The native of Italy entered the tournament on a 30-match winning streak that dated back to February.
The tennis world was in shock, with ESPN reacting to the news on social media.
"Top-ranked Jannik Sinner is OUT of the French Open," ESPN wrote on X. "Dropping 18 of the last 20 games en route to a second-round loss to 56th-ranked Juan Manuel Cerundolo. He appeared to struggle with the heat at the match, going from one game away from victory to finding himself out of the tournament in the second round."
Top-ranked Jannik Sinner is OUT of the French Open, dropping 18 of the last 20 games en route to a second-round loss to 56th-ranked Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
— ESPN (@espn) May 28, 2026
He appeared to struggle with the heat at the match, going from one game away from victory to finding himself out of the… pic.twitter.com/mfHfHjRwpp
Fans took notice, reacting to the stunning news by taking to social media to share their thoughts.
"That collapse is unbelievable One game away from advancing to losing 18 of the last 20 games is the kind of meltdown you almost never see from the world No. 1 ," one fan said.
"That's brutal. Sinner had it wrapped up then just ran out of gas in that heat. Respect to Cerundolo for hanging in there. Clay season never fails to deliver chaos. ," wrote a second.
"You just hate to see the heat take out a top player like that, especially breaking what was a 30-match winning streak. What a seismic shock for the tournament," said a third user.
"Sinner melted faster than cheap gelato in the Paris sun. #1 to done in 2R - that's not heat, that's a full-on choke job ," joked a fourth.
"From one game away to eliminated… that's a brutal collapse for Sinner. Credit to Cerúndolo for staying composed and taking full advantage when the momentum shifted," commented a fifth.
"The heat looked like a real factor, but Grand Slams test endurance as much as talent. This is one of the biggest shocks of the tournament already," added a sixth.
Sinner will get another chance at a major tennis tournament at Wimbledon, starting June 29 in London.
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This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 9:08 AM.