Djokovic, Sinner exit early at French Open

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

It has been a wild week in Paris after the two heavily favored stars to win this year’s French Open title were booted out of the Grand Slam tournament.

It’s strange to hear, but the rest of the French Open will continue without world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic.

Before the Grand Slam event kicked off, both aces claimed the top two spots with the highest percentage chances of claiming the Roland Garros trophy after defending champion Carlos Alcaraz pulled out because of a wrist injury.

In just the blink of an eye, they’re gone.

Both netters shared the same fate after blowing identical 2-0 leads, only to crumble in the last three sets and absorb shocking five-set losses in back-to-back French Open matches.

On May 28, 2026, Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo stunned Sinner, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1, while Brazil’s Joao Fonseca defeated Djokovic in their third-round matchup, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5, on May 29, 2026.

After moving a set away from entering the third round, Sinner lost focus as he failed to convert his massive lead, which led to a sudden physical collapse.

Up 5-1 in the third set, almost all the fans on Court Philippe-Chatrier were ready to explode as a walk-in-the-park win was within reach for Sinner.

However, Cerundolo’s demoralizing comeback silenced Sinner’s fans as the Argentine courageously pulled off a momentum-boosting six-game run to extend his French Open hopes.

Not only did he extend his lifeline in the match.

He overcame the odds.

After stealing the third set, the complexion of the match shifted in favor of Cerundolo, who capitalized on the big moment while taking advantage of the worn-out Sinner, who just didn’t have the legs to continue in the grueling five-set showdown.

During the postmatch press conference, Sinner admitted that he woke up ill and didn’t sleep properly the night before his match against Cerundolo.

He also experienced dizziness and sudden urges to vomit as the match progressed, which was visible when he was gasping for air in the final two sets.

Sinner took a medical timeout to reset, but it did not help as the pumped-up Cerundolo stole the show to eliminate the world No. 1 from Roland Garros.

“Really couldn’t find any energy today. It was a tough spot to be in. It was nothing against the weather. It’s just me today,” Sinner said after the loss.

Meanwhile, Djokovic had an identical start as Sinner, racing to a comfortable 2-0 advantage before experiencing the wrath of Fonseca’s come-from-behind rally.

Djokovic had multiple chances to put the match away, but his golden chance to bag the break point that could have put him ahead 5-3 in the fourth set did not materialize.

Fonseca ended the seventh game of the set with a strong hold, then sealed the equalizing frame with a 4-1 run to set up the deciding fifth set.

Djokovic also had the opportunity to pull away in the final set after building an early 3-1 lead, but Fonseca claimed the most crucial break points while saving two service games to complete the upset.

The 39-year-old living legend held nothing back during the postmatch interview, admitting that he ran out of gas and got outplayed in the final stretch of the match.

“Incredible match to be part of,” Djokovic said.

“It’s a tough one for me to lose. Huge credit to Joao. Without a doubt, he was the better player in those crucial moments. He was just better.”