Juan Manuel Cerundolo speaks out after beating Jannik Sinner at the French Open

Juan Manuel Cerundolo stuns Sinner in French Open five-set comeback

Juan Manuel Cerundolo pulled off a remarkable comeback to beat Jannik Sinner 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 in the second round of the French Open.

The match took a dramatic turn after Sinner started well, taking control early and going up 5-1 in the third set. But from there, Cerundolo completely turned things around.

Sinner appeared to be struggling physically as he dropped the third set before losing the final two sets by wide margins.

Afterwards, Cerundolo addressed Sinner directly in his post-match interview on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Juan Manuel Cerundolo Reacts to Jannik Sinner’s Injury and Admits He Was ‘A Bit Fortunate’

“It is tough for him,” Cerundolo said. “He was leading the match. I could not win more than three games! I was a little bit lucky.”

“I feel sorry for him because he deserved to win a lot of majors, and he was deserving to win this match. But I don’t know what happened. He was cramping maybe, maybe it was the pressure, I don’t know.”

“I am super happy,” he said. “I tried to play my best. I am going to keep trying to play my best. Of course, it’s a tournament I really like to play. Clay is my best surface, so I hope to be ready for the next match.”

Jannik Sinner found himself under pressure during the tournament. With Carlos Alcaraz already out of contention, it felt like the perfect moment for him to complete his Career Grand Slam at Roland Garros.

This year wasn’t meant to be for him, so now he needs to focus on preparing for the grass-court season. As for Cerundolo, he’s got his eyes set on the third round of the French Open and looks ready to give it a go from there.

How Juan Manuel Cerundolo managed to defeat Jannik Sinner

With Sinner up 5-1 in the third set, it looked as though he was on his way to a comfortable win. But Cerundolo took advantage of Sinner’s struggles, earning three break points at 4-5. The Italian didn’t return to the baseline, leading umpire Aurelie Tourte to check in with him.

Sinner then left the court for a medical assessment after discussing his options with Tourte. TNT Sports analyst Jim Courier later criticised how the situation was handled during their broadcast:

“We love the top players, they are great for the sport, but you have to apply the rules fairly,” said Courier. “The rules are being bent for the top players. You cannot tell me you have to take him off court to see what his vital signs are like.”

Sinner returned and managed a strong start to the fourth set but couldn’t keep it going. Cerundolo kept up his momentum and won both remaining sets easily. The result snapped an incredible 98-day unbeaten run for Sinner remarkably.

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