French Open stunner: No. 1 Jannik Sinner struggles with dizziness during heat wave in 2nd-round loss

PARIS (AP) — Not since Rafael Nadal was winning his record 14 French Opens had a player come to Roland Garros as such an overwhelming favorite to win the clay-court Grand Slam.

Jannik Sinner had won everything there was to win in tennis over the past three months: five straight Masters 1000 titles — three of them on clay — and 30 straight matches.

And with Carlos Alcaraz, his biggest rival, out due to an injured right wrist, it seemed almost a foregone conclusion that Sinner would raise the Coupe des Mousquetaires trophy and complete a career Grand Slam.

That’s why Sinner’s meltdown amid the Paris heat wave was so stunning Thursday — especially after he came within just one game of concluding his second-round match in straight sets when he led 5-1 in the third.

The top-ranked Sinner struggled with dizziness and was beaten by 56th-ranked Juan Manuel Cerundolo 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 after wasting two chances to serve for the match.

“I didn’t feel very well on court,” Sinner said. “I struggled, starting to feel very dizzy, very low on energy. ... In the beginning, I was hitting very clean, very good, and then I just kind of hit the wall.

"I didn’t have energy, really. I was very, very flat. The whole body. I don’t remember last time I felt this weak,” Sinner added.

Sinner said that when he woke up on Thursday he “didn’t feel very well.”

Sinner bent over on the clay court in apparent exhaustion multiple times and was hardly even running for shots as the match wore on, resorting to drop shots and serve-and-volley tactics to try and shorten the points.

He attempted to cool himself with a hand-held fan on changeovers and put bags of ice around his neck.

The temperature at the start of the match was 29 degrees C (84 F) and rose to 32 C (90 F).

“It was warm but not crazy warm,” Sinner said. “I feel like it was quite OK to play. Really it was nothing against the heat, nothing against the weather. It was just me today, but it happens.”

Cerundolo didn’t celebrate too much when it was over, just producing a little wave to the crowd.

“It’s tough for him,” Cerundolo said. “I couldn’t win more than three games by set. So I think I was a little bit lucky. … He was deserving to win in this match. But then I don’t know what happened. … I feel sorry for him and hope he recovers.”

When Sinner served for the match a second time at 5-4 in the third set, he bent over at 0-40 and then walked to his chair. He asked for assistance and left the court. His entire light blue outfit was soaked through with sweat.

After losing the set 7-5, Sinner received medical attention and left the court. Minerals were added to his drink when he returned but Sinner wasn't able to recuperate.

Sinner lost 18 of the last 20 games. Asked if he considered retiring before the match ended, Sinner said that in the “fifth set we all know everything can happen. I was in a tough spot."

Sinner's previous loss came Feb. 19 in the Qatar Open quarterfinals. He had won five straight Masters titles while dropping just three sets.

“We’ll definitely do some tests to be sure of what happened today," he said.

“Let’s hope we’re ready for Wimbledon,” Sinner added. “To be ready there, we need to recuperate well and do things right now.”

But Sinner has a history of struggling in the heat. He admitted he was lucky at the Australian Open in January against Eliot Spizzirri when the roof was closed and the third-round match swung his way. And he had to retire from a match in Shanghai in October that was contested amid extreme humidity.

“Shanghai was very tough. Humidity very high. Australia was very, very warm,” Sinner said. “Here, I mean it was warm, but it was OK. It was not like I was dying because of the heat. I think today was completely different scenario.

“It’s tough to accept, of course, because of the position where I’ve been in and everything considered,” added Sinner, who sportsbooks had listed at around -300 to win the tournament.

On the same Court Philippe Chatrier last year, Sinner wasted three match points against Alcaraz and lost an epic final.

In other matches, 17-year-old Frenchman Moise Kouame became the youngest man to reach the third round of a Grand Slam since Rafael Nadal was also 17 at 2003 Wimbledon. Kouame beat Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8).

Frances Tiafoe required nearly five hours to overcome Hubert Hurkacz 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-7 (1), 6-4.

And Cerundolo’s older brother, Francisco, beat Hugo Gaston 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1.

In women’s action, Naomi Osaka put on another fashion show for her walk-on before beating Donna Vekic 7-6 (1), 6-4.

Defending champion Coco Gauff beat Mayar Sherif 6-3, 6-2; and top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka defeated Elsa Jacquemot 7-5, 6-2.

AP Sports Writers Samuel Petrequin and Jerome Pugmire contributed to this report.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Jannik Sinner of Italy cools himself with the ice during the second round men's singles tennis match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts as he plays against Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina during their second round men's singles tennis match at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Jannik Sinner of Italy waves as he leaves the court after the second round men's singles tennis match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Jannik Sinner of Italy cools himself with the ice during the second round men's singles tennis match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Jannik Sinner of Italy talks with the referee during the second round men's singles tennis match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts as he cools himself with the water during a break at the second round men's singles tennis match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Thursday, May 28, 2026, as temperature rises up to 33 C (91 F). (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

The Champions League, European club soccer's most important trophy, is at stake when Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal meet in Budapest on Saturday. For PSG and Luis Enrique, it doesn’t end there.

On the line for the defending champion and its serial-winning Spanish coach is the chance to stake its claim to be considered the greatest team of this era.

“I arrived at the club thinking, ‘My objective is to make history,’ and we have indeed made history,” Luis Enrique said. “We want to keep writing the story because we believe there’s still more there for us to achieve.”

PSG is already in the conversation when it comes to judging the finest teams to have won the title in the age of the Champions League. But sometimes cold, hard facts are required to drive the point home.

Victory at Puskas Arena would see PSG become only the second team to retain the trophy since the old European Cup was rebranded as the Champions League in 1992.

For many years it didn't happen even for teams regarded as generationally great.

Pep Guardiola's Barcelona won two in three years. AC Milan and Juventus each reached three consecutive finals in the '90s but only won one apiece. Ajax and Manchester United took title defenses all the way to the final only to fall at the last hurdle.

Real Madrid — winner of more European titles than any other club — finally bucked that trend, winning three in a row from 2016-18. What seemed unthinkable before and since would suddenly seem a very real target for PSG if it prevails on Saturday.

Luis Enrique would join Guardiola and Zinedine Zidane as a three-time Champions League winner. Not that his motivation is based on personal accolades.

Having won the Champions League with Barcelona, Luis Enrique has produced a PSG team that has set the benchmark in Europe over the past two seasons. It combines attacking flair with an energy and tenacity that appears to be moving the sport in a new direction. A team that plays with a high risk of being exposed defensively for the ultimate reward.

At its best, PSG seems unstoppable, with last year's 5-0 rout of Inter Milan in the final the most dominant in the tournament's 70-year history.

And with a squad that has an average age of under 24, the potential is there for it to dominate for years to come.

Desire Doue, the two-goal hero of last year's final, is just 20. Tireless midfielder Joao Neves is 21.

It is plain to see in PSG's performances — such as the 5-4 win over Bayern Munich in the semifinals — that this is a special team, but titles are needed to confirm its status among the greatest.

To many, Guardiola's Barcelona that won in 2009 and 2011 with Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta is the benchmark for the modern era.

To some, Luis Enrique's title-winning Barcelona team in 2015, spearheaded by Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez, was even better.

Statistically, none can match Zinedine Zidane's Madrid team of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos that won three consecutive titles. Over a five-year period Madrid was European champion four times.

Overall, PSG has a long way to go to come close to Madrid's 15 titles, having won the Champions League for the first time last year. But it can stake its claim to be considered the best of its era.

PSG has certainly taken its time to reach this point. Backed by Qatari riches, it bought the best players in the world in its bid to conquer Europe — Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Zlatan Ibrahimovic as billions of dollars were spent.

It wasn't until there was a shift in focus to a more team-based model — still packed with superstars acquired at exorbitant cost — that PSG reached the summit.

Out went the Galacticos Messi, Neymar and finally Mbappe. In came Doue, Joao Neves, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Ousmane Dembele — a player who hadn't fulfilled expectations at Barcelona — who re-emerged in Paris as the talisman of a spectacularly talented, but inexperienced group.

A semifinal in Luis Enrique's first campaign was followed by last year's triumph and the chance to go back-to-back this season.

“I’d say there was more pressure last season because everyone was like, ‘This is it! We can’t lose this time!’” Luis Enrique said. “This time around, there is pressure because we believe we deserve it.”

While PSG targets history, Arsenal is aiming to pull off an upset and win its first Champions League title.

The Premier League champion advanced to the final after topping the league phase with a perfect winning record.

Mikel Arteta's team lost to PSG in last year's semifinals.

“It’s two teams that are exceptional in the way they function, (how) they adapt and the intensity they play with,” Arteta said. “We’re going to have to be our best version to win it.”

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Arsenal players celebrate their Premier League title with the trophy after the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal in London, England, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)