‘It’s tough to accept’: Roland Garros men's draw turned upside down with the world No.1 crashing out

The conditions on Court Philippe Chatrier were warm “but not crazy warm,’’ Jannik Sinner told a packed media conference at Roland Garros after the reddest of hot favourites melted in the Paris heat.

His opening round match was at night against French wildcard Clement Tabur but although it was late it was “not crazy late”, Sinner recalled of a finish around 10pm after just over two hours on court in the relative cool of Tuesday evening.

This, though, was crazy unexpected. Crazy dramatic, too. After Juan Manuel Cerundolo’s five-set mega-upset of a cramping Sinner, the clay court slam is now without either of the world's top two ranked men among its last 32.

Becoming the first men's No.1 seed to lose in the round of 64 at Roland-Garros since Andre Agassi in 2000, Sinner surrendered a 6-3, 6-2, 5-1 lead to win just two more games against the world No.56 at the tournament he entered as the shortest-priced men’s grand slam favourite since Rafal Nadal at his pet event in 2009.

In the upset of the year. Of many years, probably.

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Long known to be susceptible in the type of fierce heat through which Paris has sweltered this week with the most extreme May temperatures on record, Sinner was asked to compare it with a humid Shanghai, where he retired after cramping in the third set against Talon Griekspoor last October, or a high-30s afternoon at Melbourne Park this year, when what was verging on a lost cause against Eliot Spizzirri was resurrected by the closure of Rod Laver Arena’s retractable roof under the extreme heat policy.

“I mean, it was warm, but it was OK. It was not like I was dying because of the heat. I think today was (a) completely different scenario,’’ he said, while admitting he had “kind of hit the wall” in the third set.

“It's tough to accept, of course, because of the position where I've been in and everything considered, but yeah, now I have a lot of time to recover. I won't play any tournament on grass before (Wimbledon), most likely.

"Now I need really some time off, recover completely, also mentally, and then be ready to go again for Wimby.’’

Tournament organisers had been accused by some of playing favourites by scheduling the world No.1 in the first match on Chatrier, despite women opening the program on days one to four.

Then there was the controversy over Sinner being permitted to leave the court when serving at 5-4, 0-40, when clearly crumbling physically, having complained of dehydration after been approached by chair umpire Aurelia Tourte about taking a medical break. Technically, timeouts do not cover cramp.

Still, nothing could spare last year’s runner-up from a stunning boilover against a “super-happy” Cerundolo, who said on court: “It’s tough for him. I couldn’t win more than three games in a set, so I was a little bit lucky.

“I feel sorry for him because he deserve to win a lot of matches and of course he was deserving to win in this match. 

“But then I don’t know what happened, I think he was cramping maybe, or maybe the pressure, I don’t know. But of course I feel sorry for him and hope he recovers.’’

The Argentinian is the lowest-ranked player to beat a reigning men’s No.1 at Roland-Garros since 1998, and the lowest to do so from two sets down at a major since 1973.

He said he had seen a change in his opponent about three games into the third set. Serve-volleying, suddenly. Hitting big out-of-position forehands. Desperate to shorten the points.

“So I started to notice that something wasn't good, because I mean, he was beating me pretty easy, I have to say,’’ said Cerundolo, who had never passed the second round of a major before this one.

“Why should he change the tactic and make the points shorter if he doesn't need? So I start to feel. Then he kind of move his legs to do something, and also, yeah, I think his team started cheer him up. I thought, ‘something's weird’. 

“Doesn't seem like with the score, you know? It was 6-3, 6-2, 3-0, and why all that, you know?’’

The reason soon became apparent, for Sinner had been untouchable since February. He had won his past 30 matches, including 18 on clay for ATP Masters 1000 titles in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, but said it was impossible to know whether a lighter lead-in schedule would have helped to avoid such a fate at the only major he has not won.

After the withdrawal of his great rival, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, with whom he has shared the past nine grand slam titles, the men’s draw had been widely billed as Sinner versus the field. 

The Career Slam was as good as his, was the consensus.

Until it wasn’t.

“I didn't feel very well on court,’’ said the four-time major winner, who said he had woken up in less than full health before a match that started at close to 30 degrees before climbing a few more.

“Many things together caused this problem today,’’ he insisted, saying he had felt dizzy and fatigued, low on energy, “let go” of the fourth set to try to recover for the fifth, only to drop his opening service game in the decider.

“I don't remember last time I felt this weak, but yeah, look, it is what it is. I tried to stay there with all I had today, and this was the maximum I had,'' Sinner said.

"Of course, a pity because I was playing really well the first couple of sets, and also the third set was playing really well. Yeah, that's the sport.’’

One that, this week, has been hugely influenced by the debilitating weather, although Sinner played down its impact, and congratulated his opponent.

“It was warm, but not crazy warm. I feel like it was quite OK to play,’’ he said. “Really it was nothing against the heat, nothing against the weather. It was just me today, but it happens.’’

And so the door opens, just maybe, for 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, who just turned 39, to reach a record 25th, as Sinner departs a tournament still in shock, leaving a men's field now in disarray. 

Crazy days indeed.

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