World No. 1 Jannik Sinner suffered a shock second-round defeat to 56th-ranked Juan Manuel Cerundolo at Roland-Garros 2026, marking a significant upset in the men's draw. Sinner, who arrived in Paris after winning all three clay-court Masters titles and was widely expected to capture his first French Open crown, struggled with physical exhaustion and dizziness in extreme heat. He told the press afterwards that he felt "very dizzy" and "very low of energy," and indicated he would need time to recover before Wimbledon.
How did Cerundolo pull off the upset?
Sinner led 5-1 in the third set before his physical condition deteriorated sharply. Cerundolo then won 18 consecutive points to turn the match around, eventually prevailing as the top seed ran out of energy to compete. The Argentine's comeback from a commanding deficit showcased the toll that the scorching Paris conditions took on the defending finalist, who lost to Carlos Alcaraz in five sets at Roland-Garros in 2025.
Swiatek and Kouamé advance on the women's and men's sides
Four-time champion Iga Swiatek eased into the fourth round with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over fellow Pole Magda Linette. Swiatek will next face a fourth-round opponent as she pursues another title run at the French Open.
On the men's side, 17-year-old French wild card Moïse Kouamé reached the third round after saving two match points against Paraguay's Adolfo Daniel Vallejo in a five-set thriller. Kouamé's 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6(8) victory made him the youngest man to reach the last 32 of a Grand Slam since Nadal at 2003 Wimbledon. Playing in his first Grand Slam main draw, Kouamé had already made history by beating former US Open champion Marin Cilic in the first round, becoming the first man born in 2008 or later to win a main-draw match at this level.
Other notable results
Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen suffered a first-round exit to Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska 6-4, 6-0, adding to a season marked by physical setbacks including a chronic right elbow injury and surgery last summer. Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka, playing what is likely his final Roland-Garros at age 41, dropped the first set 6-3 to Jesper de Jong. British qualifier Toby Samuel lost his main-draw debut to eighth seed Alex De Minaur 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.
Felix Auger-Aliassime, seeded fourth, faced Brandon Nakashima in the night session on Court Philippe-Chatrier. The Canadian's progress through the draw will be closely watched as the tournament advances into the weekend rounds.
Sources
- Roland-Garros: Roland-Garros wrap - Thurs May 28. Published 2026-05-29.
- Tennis Majors: 17-year old Kouamé saves the match from two points down to reach the third round. Published 2026-05-28.
- Dubai Eye 103.8: Teichmann topples world No. 10 Muchova; Swiatek cruises into 4th round. Published 2026-05-29.
- Mogaz: Roland-garros Matches 2026: Swiatek advances as Wawrinka, Zheng fall back. Published 2026-05-30.
- Roland-Garros: RG Live: Saturday May 30. Published 2026-05-30.
Reported from public sources.