Jannik Sinner lost to Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round of the French Open.
The Italian was the heavy favourite to win Roland Garros and led 5-1 in the third set, but couldn’t get over the line.
Struggling physically, Sinner lost to Cerundolo in five sets, missing out on a chance to complete his Career Grand Slam.
Where does Jannik Sinner’s defeat to Juan Manuel Cerundolo rank among the most shocking results in tennis history?
World number 13 Andrey Rublev has now delivered his verdict on Sinner’s shocking defeat.
Andrey Rublev thinks Jannik Sinner may have been injured during French Open defeat to Juan Manuel Cerundolo
During his latest post-match press conference, Rublev was asked for his thoughts on Sinner’s second-round exit.
“Obviously something happened with him, because if he was 6-3, 6-2, 5-1, up and he lost 6-1, 6-1, in the fourth and fifth sets, something happened,” said Rublev.
“I don’t know; I think maybe he had a little injury or something, is my guess.
“Maybe when he was 5-1 up, he was feeling it, but not as much, and at 5-1 he relaxed, maybe one easy, stupid mistake, something like that, and maybe the injury gets a little worse.
“I saw some videos; he was not really moving, but I don’t know.
“This is more a question to Jannik about what happened.
“I hope everything is ok, and he will be able to play the next tournaments.”
Sinner looked to be struggling with cramps, but during his post-match press conference, he denied that the heat cost him the win.
“I woke up this morning, didn’t feel very well and tried to keep the points very short,” he said.
“Also, in the beginning I was hitting very clean, very good, and then I just kind of hit the wall, and that’s it.
“It was warm but not crazy warm. I feel like it was quite ok to play.
“Really, it was nothing against the heat, nothing against the weather. It was just me today, but it happens.”
Sinner doesn’t plan to play any grass-court tournaments before Wimbledon, so he should have plenty of time to recover ahead of the third Grand Slam of the year.
The 2026 Wimbledon Championships begin on Monday, June 29.
Can Andrey Rublev win the French Open?
Rublev has never been past the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam, losing 10 times at that stage of the competition.
Andrey Rublev’s record in Grand Slam quarter-finals (0-10)
- 2017 US Open QF [LOSS] vs Rafael Nadal, 1-6, 2-6, 2-6
- 2020 US Open QF [LOSS] vs Daniil Medvedev, 6-7, 3-6, 6-7
- 2020 French Open QF [LOSS] vs Stefanos Tsitsipas, 5-7, 2-6, 3-6
- 2021 Australian Open QF [LOSS] vs Daniil Medvedev, 5-7, 3-6, 2-6
- 2022 French Open QF [LOSS] vs Marin Cilic, 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-7
- 2022 US Open QF [LOSS] vs Frances Tiafoe, 6-7, 6-7, 4-6
- 2023 Australian Open QF [LOSS] vs Novak Djokovic, 1-6, 2-6, 4-6
- 2023 Wimbledon QF [LOSS] vs Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 1-6, 4-6, 3-6
- 2023 US Open QF [LOSS] vs Daniil Medvedev, 4-6, 3-6, 4-6
- 2024 Australian Open QF [LOSS] vs Jannik Sinner, 4-6, 6-7, 3-6
It’s that dire record that has put many off backing Rublev in Paris this year.
But with the biggest names in men’s tennis, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Novak Djokovic out of the picture, does he have an outside chance?
If he plays his best tennis, then yes!
Rublev, at his hard-hitting best, is one of the most dangerous players on tour and has the trophies to prove it.
The Russian has won 17 ATP titles, six of those coming on clay.
Still, even without Alcaraz, Sinner, and Djokovic, Rublev has work to do in the French capital.
Andrey Rublev’s route to the title
| Round | Highest-ranked potential opponent | Potential seeded opponents |
| 4R | Jakub Mensik (27) | [26] Jakub Mensik |
| QF | Casper Ruud (16) | [15] Casper Ruud, [28] Joao Fonseca |
| SF | Alexander Zverev (3) | [2] Alexander Zverev, [27] Rafael Jodar |
| F | Felix Auger-Aliassime (6) | [4] Felix Auger-Aliassime, [10] Flavio Cobolli, [19] Frances Tiafoe, [31] Brandon Nakashima |
He will need to beat Czechia’s Jakub Mensik to reach the quarter-finals.
Should he do so, he will take on either Casper Ruud or Joao Fonseca, looking to reach a major semi-final for the first time.
A potential semi-final against Alexander Zverev may prove to be a step too far, but if this tournament has proven anything, it’s that you should expect the unexpected.
Bidding for a place in his 11th Grand Slam quarter-final, Rublev will play Mensik on Sunday, May 31.
