In a tournament full of upsets, Jannik Sinner’s second-round exit was perhaps the most shocking result at Roland Garros 2026.
Sinner lost to Juan Manuel Cerundolo at the French Open, falling to the Argentine in five sets amid physical struggles.
The Italian was within a game of emerging victorious, having gone two sets up before leading 5-1 in the third, but his body let him down, allowing Cerundolo to come back and take the win.
How concerned are you about Jannik Sinner’s physical issues going forward in his career?
Reacting to the result recently, eight-time major champion Andre Agassi criticised Sinner, claiming the world number one had a ‘flaw’ in his preparation and suggested he had a hydration issue.
Now, another American tennis legend, John McEnroe, has given his verdict on the 24-year-old’s difficulties.
John McEnroe discusses Jannik Sinner’s physical issues
As per Tennis 365, McEnroe said of Sinner: “This is not a new issue. He’s had trouble with this for a couple of years.
“It is brutal when you have to deal with this kind of heat, but he has had three or four different occasions when he has cramped up.
“So I’m assuming that over the course of the last three or four years, they have been doing everything they can possibly do, whether it’s testing or food intake, to work out a way to minimise this issue.
“I think they will continue to do that. In my opinion, it’s in his head a little bit. It’s hard to deal with that and remain calm.
Which loss was more surprising, Aryna Sabalenka or Jannik Sinner?
Sinner lost in R2, Sabalenka in the QF…
“Carlos Alcaraz had a problem against Zverev at the Australian. He was cramping and somehow he recovered.
“Sinner has gotten through some of these matches when he has cramped and we’d be talking about a different final if he had got through that one game.
“It’s too bad. It shows he’s human, but I’d be willing to bet anything that they are doing everything they can to fix this.”
Jannik Sinner’s next event on the ATP Tour after loss in Paris
For the past three seasons, Sinner has featured at the Halle Open prior to his campaign at the Wimbledon championships.
But this year, Sinner has opted not to appear in Halle, and instead go straight to Wimbledon, where he will be defending the title for the first time in his career.
Sinner won Wimbledon in 2025 following a remarkable run, during which he beat both Ben Shelton and Novak Djokovic in straight sets en route to the final.
In the championship match, Sinner beat his rival, Carlos Alcaraz, to hoist a maiden trophy at the All England Club, and go within a French Open crown of the Career Grand Slam.
He is defending 2000 ATP points at Wimbledon, but will maintain his position at the top spot in the rankings regardless of how he gets on in South West London.
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