Sinner collapses in 32C heat as Cerundolo wins

Sinner collapses – Jannik Sinner’s bid for a French Open win against Juan Manuel Cerundolo ended in a dramatic late collapse after he wilted in 32C heat on Court Philippe-Chatrier, losing the third set 7-5 before dropping the fourth 6-1 and fifth 6-1. The world No 1’s physio bre

Jannik Sinner was four points from finishing Juan Manuel Cerundolo off at Court Philippe-Chatrier when the match turned on a single, punishing factor: the Paris heat.

The world No 1 led 6-3. 6-2. 5-1. cruising through two sets and sitting one game away from the finish line in the third. Then the 32C conditions caught him. Sinner collapsed. lost the third set 7-5. and the slide became an avalanche—he went on to lose the fourth set 6-1 and the fifth set 6-1. crashing out of the French Open.

What made the ending even louder wasn’t only the sudden physical breakdown. It was the way his heat struggle was managed mid-match, and the questions it has now raised.

During physio breaks. Sinner was reportedly given shelter in an air-conditioned room. despite suffering what he described as dizziness and near-nausea. Before that shift. Sinner told the physio he felt dizzy and said. “I feel like I’m going to throw up. ” after sitting on the advertising hoardings next to the court before being taken off to back rooms that were air conditioned. While he was away from the court, umpire Aurelie Tourte informed Cerundolo that Sinner was having his blood pressure taken.

When Sinner returned, he lost the next three games to surrender the third set 7-5. Shortly after. the fourth set began with him struggling to serve. at times looking as though he was trying to throw the set—something that looked less like tactics and more like managing energy after his body had already started to fail. By then. he could barely move. constantly clutching his leg. sitting with a handheld fan to his face before the final set. He soon slumped to 3-0 down and eventually lost the fifth set 6-1.

Sinner tried to explain what had happened after the match. “I woke up this morning. didn’t feel very well – and then I just kind of hit the wall. ” he said. “I couldn’t find any energy today. It was warm, but it was OK. It’s not like I was dying because of the heat. Now I need, really, some time off.”.

Still, the reaction didn’t stop at the result. Commentator Jim Courier said Sinner’s physio breaks were “absolute baloney.” Brit tennis legend Tim Henman added that “it doesn’t seem right.” Their criticism landed around the decision to take Sinner into an air-conditioned room during an on-court evaluation.

Courier’s argument was blunt: “This is unfair for Cerundolo,” he said. “This is not an injury. He should be getting penalised for this. It’s clearly cramping.” He added: “The rules are being bent for the top players. You cannot tell me you have to take him off court to see what his vital signs are like. This is absolute baloney.”.

Henman took issue with how much time and comfort were involved. “If you are being evaluated for an injury where you need a bit of privacy. if you’ve got a groin strain. you’ve got to remove articles of clothing. then you obviously go off the court. but in that scenario. when he’s been evaluated. I think to get ten minutes in an air conditioned room. ” Henman said. “Um, doesn’t seem quite right.”.

In the same discussion. Henman pointed to the wider rules around delays: “He is delaying play. and therefore. you’re going to get a warning. and if you’ve already had a warning for that. it can be loss of first serve. or it’s going to be a penalty point.” He questioned why the umpire had to make the move at all. “So 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.”.

The controversy sits against a pattern. Sinner arrived in the match having won his last 30 matches and six Masters tournaments in a row. Yet his troubles in heat have repeatedly surfaced.

At the Australian Open in January, he was saved by the heat rule. He was 3-1 down in the third set against Eliot Spizzirri when play was suspended. allowing Sinner a 10-minute break to cool down. That decision triggered its own furious debate, with Courier arguing at the time too that the benefit felt excessive. The clash between performance and perceived privilege has followed Sinner across continents.

Sinner’s heat drama also included other near-disasters. He almost melted against Casper Ruud before an 11-minute off-court medical timeout helped him recover. and he went on to win the tournament. He retired at the Shanghai Masters last year due to severe cramps in extreme heat and humidity. More recently. he wobbled against Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals in Rome a few weeks ago but still came through and won that tournament too.

For Cerundolo, the turning point was sudden and stunning: after Sinner’s first two-set control and the 5-1 lead in the third, he took hold of the match and never allowed it to slip again—ending it by winning the third set 7-5 and then sealing the fourth 6-1 and fifth 6-1.

Henman’s final verdict on the upset summed up how far the match had swung. “It’s one of the biggest upsets in Grand Slams for many, many years,” he said. “Two sets to one up, 5-1 in the third set, absolute cruise control. Sinner’s been beating everyone for months, hasn’t looked like losing, and then, what’s that, 18 of the next 20 games, Cerundolo takes?. Phenomenal.”.

MISRYOUM Sports French Open Jannik Sinner Juan Manuel Cerundolo Court Philippe-Chatrier 32C heat heat rule Aurelie Tourte Jim Courier Tim Henman