Roland Garros has been turned upside down. In yet another sweltering afternoon on Court Philippe-Chatrier, the 2026 French Open lost its big favourite, while across the grounds, a 17-year-old Frenchman continued to write a fairytale that will be interesting to follow.
An incredible run comes to an end
Jannik Sinner’s attempt to complete the Career Grand Slam ended in brutal fashion on Thursday, where the World No. 1 was overcome physically, allowing Juan Manuel Cerundolo to surge to a 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 victory. It is, without question, the biggest upset of the 2026 season.
The top seed had led Cerundolo by two sets and 5-1 – and then his body gave way. It’s something we’ve seen before and it always felt a bit risky seeing him in this sweltering heat. The Argentine, ranked outside the top 50, came back to win in three hours and 36 minutes.
As the temperature was high during the whole contest, Sinner appeared to struggle with cramping as the match continued. He even exited the court with apparent cramps during the third set. From that point, the Italian was a shadow of the player who had arrived in Paris.
The defeat adds another painful chapter on Court Philippe-Chatrier for Sinner, who last year let slip three championship points against Carlos Alcaraz in the final. The World No. 1 departs Paris with a 37-3 record in 2026. He came here chasing the one major title missing from his collection; he leaves empty-handed again. It was the first time Sinner had been defeated in 31 matches.
With Sinner now out of Roland Garros and Alcaraz sidelined through a wrist injury, the tournament is open for a new champion to emerge for the first time since the Australian Open in 2024.
Sinner out, Kouame shocks again and the heat is not giving up just yet…
This Roland Garros is surely interesting to follow! All pressure on Zverev now? pic.twitter.com/vtYRFZWAar
— Tennisnerd.net (@Tennisnerdnet) May 28, 2026
Zverev’s best chance?
The German second seed suddenly finds himself the man to beat on the Parisian clay. He’s long been called the best ever player that never won a Grand Slam. Is this his best chance to finally get his big trophy?
With the top seed gone, Zverev is now the highest-ranked player standing, and the draw has opened up dramatically in his favour.
Who do you think can best challenge him? Let us know in the comments.
Kouamé: France has a new hero
We’ve heard praise about Moïse Kouamé already before the tournament but no one was expecting these results. The 17-year-old French wildcard has been lighting up Roland Garros all week, and on Thursday his second-round 5-set thriller against Adolfo Daniel Vallejo on Court Suzanne-Lenglen was the match of the day for the home fans. Monfils leaves and Kouame takes over!
17 Years Young! ?
Moise Kouame becomes the youngest male player to reach the third round of a Grand Slam since Nadal ?#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/y4KSaPCdIT
— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 28, 2026
It follows on from his great debut on Tuesday where he triumphed 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-1 over former US Open champion Marin Cilic to become the youngest male player in 17 years to win a main-draw match at a Grand Slam tournament.
“It wasn’t easy. I always try to stay in the present moment and not think too much about the score. Today I managed to do that really well,” Kouamé said after his first-round win.