Jannik Sinner denies heat was to blame for shock French Open exit
By Eleanor Crooks, Press Association Tennis Correspondent, Paris
Jannik Sinner denied that heat was behind his stunning French Open loss and instead blamed feeling unwell.
The world number one arrived in Paris as the most overwhelming title favourite since a prime Rafael Nadal, but is leaving before the first weekend after a 3-6 2-6 7-5 6-1 6-1 loss to Argentinian Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
Even more shocking than the result was the manner of the loss, with Sinner apparently cruising to victory at 5-1 up in the third set only to lose 18 points in a row.
Sinner’s difficulties in hot weather are well documented, including a narrow escape at the Australian Open this year when he was saved by that tournament’s heat policy, but the 24-year-old insisted this was a different situation.
“I struggled, starting to feel very dizzy,” said Sinner. “Very low on energy. I tried to serve it out, but I didn’t have a lot of energy. I woke up this morning, didn’t feel very well and tried to keep the points very short.
“Also in the beginning I was hitting very clean, very good, and then I just kind of hit the wall, and that’s it. I really couldn’t find any energy today. It was a tough spot to be in. It was warm, but not crazy warm. I feel like it was quite OK to play.
“It was just me today, but it happens. It was not like I was dying because of the heat. I think today was a completely different scenario.
“I don’t remember the last time I felt this weak. I tried to stay there with all I had today, and this was the maximum I had.”
The trouble Sinner was in became clear in the 10th game of the third set when, trailing 0-40, he sat down on the advertising hoardings.
Controversially, umpire Aurelie Tourte came down off her chair to talk to Sinner before calling the physios onto court, at which point he was taken backstage for a medical assessment.
British number one Tim Henman disagreed with the official’s decision, saying on TNT Sports: “The umpire shouldn’t be getting off her chair. It’s not her responsibility, that’s the player’s responsibility.
“I don’t see why he should get the benefit of going into an air-conditioned room.”
Heat problems such as cramp are normally deemed a loss of condition, for which players are not permitted to take additional time for treatment.
Sinner also headed off court to change his clothes at the end of the third set while he blew air onto his face from a fan and appeared to drink from a can of Coke, but he was not able to recover.
The result blows the men’s tournament wide open, with 39-year-old Novak Djokovic the only player left to have claimed a grand slam title.
It also means, for the first time since Djokovic’s US Open win in 2023, a major crown will be claimed by someone other than Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz, who is missing this tournament and Wimbledon with a wrist injury.
The first week in Paris has been played in an unseasonal heatwave that has affected several players, with Casper Ruud saying he felt like a “zombie” during his first-round match while Czech Jakub Mensik collapsed at the end of a five-set battle on Wednesday.
Both those men managed to win but an additional factor for Sinner is the heavy workload he put his body through coming into the competition.
The top seed was on a 30-match winning run dating back to February and has claimed a record six Masters 1000 titles in a row, including the big clay events in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome.
Asked if he regretted such a hectic schedule, Sinner said: “If I don’t play Madrid or if I don’t play Rome, maybe I come here and I still have a day like this where you feel sick.
“I won three tournaments on clay. Incredible results. Amazing streak I’ve had. Of course, as I said, in the beginning of the year, this is my main goal here (in Paris). A very early exit, it was not what I was looking for.”
Sinner, who only needs the French Open title to join Alcaraz in completing the career Grand Slam, will now take a break from competition until defending his title at Wimbledon.
