The biggest tennis sensation of 2026 is a reality on the clay courts in Paris! The number one racket in the world and the biggest favorite to win this Grand Slam, Janik Siner, was eliminated in the second round of Roland Garros by the 56th-ranked Argentine, Juan Manuel Cerundolo, after an epic five-set comeback – 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1.
The Italian had everything in his hands, leading 2-0 in sets and was up an incredible 5-1 in the third set, just one game away from a final triumph, when an unprecedented collapse occurred on the Philippe Chatrier court..
No. 1 Jannik Sinner exited the court after dealing with apparent cramps. #Roland Garros pic.twitter.com/2jtqoUOf3R
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) May 28, 2026
Illegal medical timeout and commentators' fury
The drama began when Siner began to lose points rapidly, racking up 15 consecutive losses due to severe cramps, dehydration, and nausea.Instead of being penalized for being late for his serve, the chair umpire allowed the Italian to request a controversial medical timeout and briefly leave the court..
This decision was met with brutal criticism from legendary tennis analyst on the TNT TV network, Jim Courier, who called the decision "absolute baloney" live on the broadcast..
"It's not fair. It's not right. We love the top players, they drive this sport, but the rules have to be applied equally to everyone. The rules bend when it comes to the best," roared Jim Courier on the transmission.
The situation was identical to that of the recent Masters in Rome, when Danil Medvedev protested violently on the ground because of Siner was granted a timeout for cramps, requiring an immediate change to the ATP's rule for such situations.
No. 1 Jannik Sinner is ON THE ROPES right now in a five-set battle 😱
- Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 28, 2026
The top ranked player in the world is facing elimination after battling cramps due to the heat 👀
Watch Roland-Garros on TNT 📺 pic.twitter.com/FPXUwuddmP
Cerundolo ends 30-fight winning streak
After returning to the field, Janik Siner was just a pale shadow of himselfThe Argentine Juan Manuel Cerundolo With a cool-headed game, he took advantage of his opponent's physical decline, won the next 6 games in a row to steal the third set 7-5, and then with a brutal 6-1 and 6-1 in the next two sets, sealed the biggest victory of his career..
The Argentine tennis player won an incredible 18 of the last 20 games of the match and for the first time in his career he advanced to the third round of a Grand Slam. On the other hand, with this shocking defeat, he definitively ended his incredible streak of Siner one 30 straight wins which has been going on since February this year.
