No second chance in second round as Cerundolo sends World No.1 home

Sinner looked unbeatable at first, winning the opening sets 6-3 and 6-2 and even leading 5-1 in the third set. But Cerundolo never gave up. He started hitting with more confidence while Sinner slowed down, and the match completely changed.

Cerundolo battled back to win the third set 7-5, then dominated the last two sets 6-1, 6-1 to complete one of the biggest upsets of the tournament in front of a stunned Roland Garros crowd.

Speaking to the media after the match, Sinner revealed that he was not feeling well physically, saying the lack of energy affected his performance and ultimately cost him the win.

“I didn’t feel very well on court. “I struggled, starting to feel very dizzy, very low on energy.

“I tried to serve it out but didn’t have a lot of energy. In the fourth set, I let it go a little bit trying to have a bit more energy in the fifth. The first one was a very important game and I couldn’t hold. Then it went a bit downwards.

“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.

“The middle of the third set, even though I was playing some great tennis, but I really couldn’t find any energy today.

“It was a tough spot to be in. But, again, this is the sport. It was warm but not crazy warm. I feel like it was quite okay to play. Really it was nothing against the heat, nothing against the weather. It was just me today, but it happens.

As Sinner goes home, Cerundolo will face Martin Landaluce in the third round of the French Open. This will be the first time both opponents meet.

Martin Landaluce is a rising star in tennis, the 20-year-old started his professional tennis career in 2023 after impressing many people in junior tournaments. His biggest achievement so far came in 2022 when he won the US Open boys’ singles title.