For the first time since 1968, the men's round of 16 at Roland-Garros contains no former Grand Slam champions, a historic rupture triggered by Jannik Sinner's five-set loss to Juan Manuel Cerundolo and Joao Fonseca's upset of Novak Djokovic. The back-to-back exits have left the tournament in what the official Roland-Garros site described as permanent whiplash, with the path to the title now genuinely unpredictable.
What happened to the top seeds?
Sinner, widely expected to win the title, fell in a five-setter to Cerundolo, and Djokovic, a 24-time major champion, was defeated by Fonseca. These departures eliminated two of the tournament's most experienced contenders and fundamentally altered the draw's complexion.
Who remains in contention?
Fourth-seeded Félix Auger-Aliassime is among the top seeds still standing, one of two top-five seeds left in the draw. Casper Ruud and No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev, both former finalists, remain in the lower half, though Ruud has had to survive two five-set matches to reach the round of 16. With no prior Grand Slam champions remaining, any of these players—or an unseeded contender—could plausibly reach the final.
How are players reacting?
Auger-Aliassime acknowledged the shock of Sinner's exit, telling Roland-Garros that the absence of the favourite "is not going to change anything" for his own path unless he reaches the semi-finals. Frances Tiafoe echoed the pragmatism: "You've got to beat one guy – whoever is in front of you." Ruud expressed relief at navigating the round of 16 and noted the tournament's openness as a refreshing development.
The round of 16 is scheduled to continue over the coming days, with the draw now wide open for any remaining player to make a deep run.