Jannik Sinner’s Sudden Exit Means Roland Garros Is Wide Open

PARIS, FRANCE – MAY 28: Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts after loosing against Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina after the Men’s Singles second round match on Day Five of the 2026 French Open at Roland Garros on May 28, 2026 in Paris, France. (Photo by Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)

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Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have won the last nine consecutive Grand Slam singles titles.

Sinner was the heavy favorite to make it 10 entering Roland Garros. In fact, he was the heaviest men’s favorite at a major since Rafael Nadal in Paris in 2009.

But the world No. 1 was stricken with cramps and took what Jim Courier called an “illegal medical timeout” during the third set of his eventual 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 loss to Juan Martin Cerundolo in the second round.

Sinner had won 30 straight matches and five consecutive ATP Masters 1000 titles, and his exit means the draw is now wide open.

“It’s hard to express how big of an upset this would be, a seismic event in the draw,” Courier said on TNT as the match was ending. “There would be a very unexpected finalist if Sinner goes out.”

Said TNT’’s Lindsay Davenport: “Everyone in the locker room has a different mentality now. He was a bigger favorite than Rafa was for the last 15 years that Rafa played here.”

No. 2 Alexander Zverev is 0-3 in major finals and is seeking his first major title.

No. 3 Novak Djokovic is bidding for a record 25th major title.

They are both in the bottom half of the draw, and would have had to potentially face Sinner in the final.

American No. 5 seed Ben Shelton, who is in the top half of the draw, is seeking his first major.

“If I’m not mistaken, the only guy left in the draw whose won a major is the guy whose won 24 of them,” Courier said of Djokovic.

Sinner had been the heaviest favorite in a men’s major since Rafael Nadal at the French Open in 2009, and hadn’t lost a match since February.

The Italian was also bidding for the career Grand Slam, having won the other three major titles in his career.

“He’s going for his Golden Slam as well here if I’m not mistaken,” Djokovic said Saturday. “He’s maybe in the form of his life, and without Carlos [Alcaraz] being here also increases his chances even more of claiming more Grand Slam titles.

“So we’re all here to try to win against him and prevent him from taking more titles.”

Now they won’t have to.