Bill Simons
For all his glory, Pete Sampras was often said to be boring. But, come on – not only did he pocket 14 majors, he repeatedly was enmeshed in tennis drama. The bloody combatant collapsed on a Moscow Court as he single-handedly won the Davis Cup for the US. He lost his lunch on Center Court at the US Open. Against his prime foe, Andre Agassi, he scored one of the great clutch matches New York has ever seen.
Similarly, Jannik Sinner is said to be less than stimulating.
Yet, like Sampras, he’s also been front and center at many a dramatic moment. Last year, he and Carlos Alcaraz battled for 5:29 in the most compelling clay court match in tennis history. And today, he endured one of the most astonishing collapses the game has ever seen.
Jannik had come in on a tear. He’d won 30 matches in a row, a record six Masters tournaments in a row, plus 18 straight clay court matches. He and Alcaraz had won nine straight Slams, but then Carlos’ wrist went on strike. In the meantime, Jannik was making his foes look like used Chevys.
No. 3 Alexander Zverev sighed: “Jannik doesn’t give you any space or any time. Right now, he’s just too good for me.” He then claimed that there are three tiers in the game. Jannik stood alone at the top. Then Carlos, Novak and himself form a second level. And then there are aspiring hopefuls in a third tier.
No wonder it was said the Italian had a whopping 70% chance of winning Roland Garros. Only Rafa has ever topped those odds.
Observers had few ideas of how anyone could gum up Sinner’s usually flawless gears. He was a machine. Patrick Mouratoglou spoke of Rafa and Jannik: “Their ability to play every shot from January 1st to December 31st with 100% commitment, concentration and intensity…is so rare.”
All this left John McEnroe, among others, to suggest that, “The best bet to beat Jannik is the weather.”
In Paris, after cruising in his first-round match, Sinner was again marching forward with his usual all-business mindset, thrashing a seemingly hapless foe. And Argentinian Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, 24, was not only No. 56, he wasn’t even the best player in his family. His brother Fernando is No. 26.
But one of tennis’ great wonders is that it doesn’t have a clock – you have to finish the job.
And weather can change everything. Chilly French winds (along with a lady named Coco) discombulated the supposedly dominant Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Roland Garros final.
And this week, record high temperatures had crumpled a slew of players who were on the verge of heat stroke. But, not to worry. Sinner confidently marched on, in total command. Up 6-3, 6-2, 5-1 in the third set, just four points from the locker room, bookies gave him a 99.9% chance of winning.
Okay, in 1983, in the US Open qualifying, Barbie Bramlett was down 0-6, 0-5, 0-40 vs. Ann Hulbert, and facing triple match points. No big deal. Barbie tapped her inner “Na-doll,” saving 18 match points, and won 0-6, 7-5, 6-3.
As for today, the fat lady was singing.
But then, in an astonishing flash tennis’ most relentless machine blew a gasket. The heat got to Sinner. He wobbled, was dizzy and wanted to vomit. Then officials gave him the white glove treatment. The chair umpire actually came down from her perched and asked, “Are you okay? What do you want to do?” and almost advised him to go off court. Broadcaster Jim Courier was livid as he noted how the rules for loss of condition were tossed. Then again, Sinner is often treated kindly. He’s the best in the world, likeable, and a considerable meal ticket.
After ten minutes off court, Sinner returned. You figured the No. 56 in the world would know his place and crumble. But it was Sinner who faltered. He tried to shorten points, charging the net and using an array of drop shots.
But all was futile.
Cerúndolo is a dogged clay meister. Sinner lost 18 points in a row. Are you kidding? And 18 of the next 20 games (this is not a typo).
Other shock Roland Garros losses come to mind. Serena falling in the first round to France’s Virginie Razzano and Rafa being humbled by Swede Robin Soderling.
Stat folks were quick to note that Sinner is not a marathon man. He’s 6-12 in five-set matches, hasn’t won any of his nine matches that exceeded 3:50 and has often suffered from the heat. John Isner had a provocative take on Sinner that may stir controversy: “His gene makeup is not doing him any favors. You talk to athletes that have light skin and red hair – they struggle in hot conditions…This is hard for their body.”
To his great credit, Sinner, as usual, showed quiet grace. He gave full credit to Cerúndolo, and said he never got into rhythm. Jannik will take a break and won’t play before Wimbledon, where he won last year.
In the long run, Sinner’s loss may humanize him. Fans embrace poignant losers: Federer weeping in Melbourne, Roddick coming oh-so-close at Wimbledon, Murray falling short before heartbroken Brits, Nadal limping through defeats, Djokovic collapsing.
Speaking of Novak, Sinner’s loss opens the door for the Serb to surpass Margaret Court and win, after nine chances, his 25th Slam. Plus, in a field with more Cerundolos than Slam winners, the current tournament favorite Zverev, could at last claim a major – such drama.
Forget the notion that the French Open, sans Alcaraz, was supposed to be a barren landscape. Thanks to a fearless 17-year-old, Moise Kouame, the day delivered a thrilling one-two punch like few others in tennis.
Out of nowhere, the French man-child, playing for the first time on Court Suzanne Lenglen and battling in his first five-set match, displayed the grit of a warrior and the nerve of a grizzled veteran as he channeled the spirit of Gael Monfils to ignite the packed crowd and down the 22-year-old Paraguayan, Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6(8).
As the world No. 313, who was born in a Parisian suburb and whose parents are from the Ivory Coast and the Cameroons, became the youngest player since Nadal in 2003 to reach the third round of a Slam, Radio Roland Garros gushed, “He’s cold as ice in the hottest place imaginable. There’s unbridled Parisian joy. The sport has a new super star.”
Moise – that’s Moses in French – not only parted the waters in Paris, he became the youngest man to reach the French Open third round since Michael Chang in 1988 and the youngest man to win at Roland Garros since 1991.
The rather enchanting Kouame, who will next play Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo, told the crowd, “Just one word: ‘Merci.’ This belongs to you.”
And this singular day of gut-wrenching defeat and joyous victory will always belong to tennis.