John McEnroe responds to Jannik Sinner’s 2026 early French Open exit
Even in a tournament filled with upsets, Jannik Sinner’s second-round exit stood out as the biggest shock of Roland Garros 2026.
Sinner was beaten by Juan Manuel Cerundolo at the French Open, losing to the Argentine in five sets while dealing with physical issues throughout the match.
The Italian was just one game away from closing out the win, having taken a two-set lead and going up 5-1 in the third. But his body gave way, and Cerundolo took advantage to stage an unlikely comeback.
Andre Agassi didn’t hold back after the result. The eight-time major champion criticised Sinner’s preparation, suggesting a hydration issue had contributed to his struggles. Now, John McEnroe has added his perspective on what went wrong for Sinner in Paris.
John McEnroe offers insight into Sinner’s ongoing fitness concerns
Speaking to Tennis 365, McEnroe said: “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. 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.”
What’s next for Jannik Sinner on the ATP schedule after his defeat in Paris?
Sinner has traditionally played the Halle Open as a tune-up before Wimbledon, but this year he’s decided to skip it and head straight to London.
This will be the first time Sinner returns to Wimbledon as defending champion, after lifting the title there last season.
His 2025 run included straight-set wins over both Ben Shelton and Novak Djokovic, before a victory against Carlos Alcaraz in the final secured his first title at the All England Club.
That win left him just one French Open crown short of completing a Career Grand Slam. Sinner is defending 2000 ranking points from last year’s triumph, though even if he falls early at SW19, he won’t be losing his No.1 ranking anytime soon. That position is safe for now.
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