Toni Nadal 'perplexed' by Jannik Sinner's exit at Roland Garros: "It’s clear that a temporary physical problem seriously disrupted his game"

This Roland Garros tournament has been full of surprises and upsets on both the ATP and WTA tournaments. Possibly the most surprising of all of these results was the demise of Jannik Sinner in the second round against Juan Manuel Cerundolo, a result in which Toni Nadal described as 'truly strange'.

The world number one came into the tournament on a 29-match winning streak having won five Masters 1000 tournaments in 2026 on the bounce. He looked unbeatable in this run and was the huge favourite to clinch the title with his arch rival and reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz out through a wrist injury.

However, the blistering heat had an impact and Sinner's body shut down when 5-1 ahead in the third set. He was in full command and looked likely to progress with ease. However, this was not the case as Cerundolo made an improbable comeback.

The Argentine picked up one of the biggest wins of his career to reach the third round while defeating the best player in the world along the way. While he got his deserving credit, all the headlines surrounded Sinner's demise.

Nadal oversaw his nephew, Rafael, win 14 Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros. Sinner is yet to clinch major glory on clay, the only Grand Slam tournament he is yet to come out on top in. As this tournament has gone on, so many upsets have occurred, but Nadal only wanted to focus on Sinner.

“This edition will be remembered for the premature defeat of the current world number one, Italian Jannik Sinner, who, after an incomprehensible match, was eliminated by Cerundolo,” Nadal in his latest column for Spanish newspaper El Pais. “While the Argentinian’s victory was surprising in itself, the manner in which it occurred was even more so.

He gave some context on the defeat. “The Italian was leading comfortably 6-3, 6-2, 5-1, but from then on, he managed to win only two of the next eighteen games; a truly strange situation for a player of his calibre and consistency.

“Journalists and fans, in general, were perplexed and tried to find an explanation for what happened that day on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Most suggested a possible case of heat exhaustion that might have left him lacking energy, but both he and his team quickly denied this. They probably didn’t want to expose themselves to speculation that might have suggested Sinner was weak in those kinds of weather conditions. Whatever the cause, it’s clear that a temporary physical problem seriously disrupted his game.”

The four-time Grand Slam champion is not going to compete in any grass tournaments until Wimbledon comes around. He bossed it at SW19 last year, putting in a delightful performance to defeat reigning champion Alcaraz in the final for a first major away from hardcourt.

“He has a great team; if I were his coach, I’d let him take a few days off and then get back to training,” Nadal commented. “I’d prepare for Wimbledon, which is another big goal for him. The important thing is that the disappointment doesn’t linger."

This decision not to compete before Wimbledon was a wise one in the opinion of Nadal who was not going to go against Sinner or his team. “No tournaments before London? If he’s made this decision, it means he thinks it’s the best possible decision for him, so it’s definitely a smart one. He’s coming off some very tough weeks and months, with a huge expenditure of energy, and he feels the need for a mental break.”