Unseeded Argentine Juan Manuel Cerundro scored the biggest victory of his career in the second round of the French Open on Thursday, defeating world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in five sets 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1.
Cerundro scored 15 straight points in the third set to steal the fourth, but Sinner struggled physically in the final two sets. At one point in the third set, Sinner was leading 5-1 when he asked the umpire for a timeout due to dehydration.
The referee granted a medical timeout and allowed Sinner to temporarily leave the court.
During the TNT broadcast, commentator Jim Courier slammed the referee for allowing Sinner to time out. Normally, players are not allowed to take a medical timeout due to cramps, but this was what Sinner requested after he became noticeably slower in the third set.
“It’s not fair. It’s not right,” Courier said. “We love the top players. They promote the sport, but the rules must be applied fairly. The rules are being bent for the top players.”
Sinner, playing against Daniil Medvedev at the 2026 Italian Open earlier this year, began suffering from cramps before calling for a timeout. Medvedev slammed the move after the loss, saying the tour was giving preferential treatment to top players.
It was Sinner’s first loss on tour since February, and his winning streak ended at 30. He is aiming to complete a career Grand Slam, and entered the tournament as the odds-on favorite to win the tournament with his odds at -300, as his rival Carlos Alcaraz was out with an injury.
The 24-year-old Cerundro reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career and, after struggling in the first two sets, made an improbable rise to victory in an endurance match against the four-time major champion. Cerundro’s victory opens the field for other potential players, including Novak Djokovic, who is aiming for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam.
This is the first major victory by a player other than Alcaraz and Sinner since Djokovic in 2023. Sinner’s streak of reaching the finals nine times in a row came to an end.
Cerundro dealt with this problem throughout the final two sets, taking advantage of Sinner’s slowed body to land a strong winner and a series of impressive returns. Cerundolo, who is four points behind three losses heading into the first major weekend of his career, defeated the giant, playing five solid sets of 3 hours and 35 minutes, and is now ready for his next match.
