Heat Overwhelms World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, Leading to Shock Roland Garros Exit

World number one Jannik Sinner, a strong favorite for the Roland Garros title, has been surprisingly eliminated from the tournament by Argentina's Juan Manuel Cerundolo. Sinner, who had enjoyed a dominant clay-court season, led the match by two sets to love and was ahead 5-1 in the third set, just one game away from advancing to the third round.

However, the intense heat in Paris, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, took a severe toll on the Italian player. Sinner experienced a physical collapse during the third set, reportedly saying "I need to vomit" and requesting a medical timeout in the locker room. The match, which lasted over three and a half hours in suffocating conditions, ultimately concluded with Cerundolo winning 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1.

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I need to vomit

Sinner's struggle with the heat was not an isolated incident at the tournament. Czech player Jakub Mensik also collapsed on the court due to heat on the previous day after a five-set match. Norwegian player Casper Ruud reported severe heat issues, describing himself as feeling like a "zombie" and suffering from heatstroke, though he managed to win his match. Ruud recalled a similar incident in Washington several years ago that forced him to retire.

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I think I suffered a real heatstroke. I felt dizzy and like a zombie. It had happened to me only once in Washington a few years ago, and then I was forced to abandon the match. This time I was down 2-1 in sets, so I told myself I had to lower my body temperature and, fortunately, it worked.