Jannik Sinner’s French Open Loss Fueled by Heat

Top tennis player Jannik Sinner was on the verge of a straight-set victory against Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round of the French Open on Thursday. However, the intense Paris heat took its toll, causing the Italian to end his impressive winning streak in a surprising turn of events.

Sinner entered the match aiming for a remarkable 30-game winning streak, which he had been building since February. At the start, the 24-year-old seemed to be dominating, winning the first two sets with ease and even leading 5-1 in the third set.

But then everything changed.

Just moments from closing out the match, Sinner lost an astonishing 18 consecutive points. As the temperature soared, he appeared to struggle physically, bending over on the court and requiring medical attention.

Sinner mentioned he was permitted to step off the court briefly to check his blood pressure, feeling unwell at that moment. Some observers speculated this might be seen as special treatment, but upon returning, he lost the set 7-5.

Despite dealing with cramps and evident exhaustion from the heat, things continued to spiral. He would ultimately drop 18 of the final 20 points, losing the last two sets 6-1, 6-1.

The temperature started out at 84 degrees Fahrenheit and climbed just over 90 degrees during the course of the match.

Before this tournament, Sinner was favored to advance deep into the event and achieve a career Grand Slam at Roland Garros, especially since Carlos Alcaraz was sidelined by an injury. Unfortunately, with this loss, he will have to wait another year to join the ranks of the ten male players who have accomplished this feat.

This wasn’t Sinner’s first experience struggling in the heat. Earlier in the year at the Australian Open, he faced similar challenges. During a match against Elio Spizzilli, the arena’s roof had to be closed midway through, allowing Sinner to eventually win in four sets, though he was later defeated by Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.