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Tennis Roundup: Sinner, Sabalenka Lose in Grand Slam Upsets; Andreeva Wins French Open Title

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Tennis Grand Slam Roundup: Sinner, Heat, and Major Upsets in 2026

Wimbledon Championships (First Round)

Men's Singles

Defending champion Jannik Sinner (Italy) defeated Miomir Kecmanović (Serbia) 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-3 in 3 hours 30 minutes. Sinner slipped and injured a nail during the third set but continued playing. He stated he was relieved to have avoided a serious injury and noted that grass courts can be slippery early in the tournament.

  • Daniil Medvedev (8th seed, Russia) defeated Marin Čilić (Croatia) 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.
  • Hubert Hurkacz (Poland) defeated Casper Ruud (11th seed, Norway) 6-4, 6-2, 7-6(7).
  • Roman Safiullin (Russia) defeated Andrey Rublev (12th seed, Russia) 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 2-6, 7-6(12).
  • Michael Zheng (US) defeated Cameron Norrie (26th seed, Great Britain).
  • All British players in the first round lost.
  • Felix Auger-Aliassime (Canada) defeated Alexander Shevchenko (Kazakhstan).
  • Aleksander Vukic and Adam Walton (Australia) were eliminated.

Women's Singles

  • Aryna Sabalenka (top seed, Belarus) defeated Teodora Kostović (Serbia) 6-2, 6-3.
  • Naomi Osaka (14th seed, Japan) defeated Elsa Jacquemot (France) 6-1, 7-5.
  • Jessica Pegula (4th seed, US) defeated Darja Vidmanova (Latvia) 7-5, 6-3.
  • Mirra Andreeva (5th seed, Russia) defeated Magda Linette (Poland) 7-5, 6-4.
  • Coco Gauff (US) advanced with a straight-sets win.
  • Belinda Bencic (11th seed, Switzerland) defeated Mika Stojsavljevic (Great Britain).

Australian Open Heat Protocols and Play Suspension

Schedule Adjustments and Heat Policy

The Australian Open implemented heat management protocols due to forecasted extreme temperatures in Melbourne, which reached the high 30s Celsius (approximately 100°F). Matches on main courts were moved to a 10:30 a.m. start time, one hour earlier than usual.

The tournament utilizes the AO Heat Stress Scale (HSS) , developed in 2019, which factors in air temperature, radiant heat, humidity, and wind speed. The scale ranges from one to five. When the HSS reaches 4.0, a 10-minute break is permitted between sets. When the scale reaches 5.0, the Tournament Referee can suspend play on outdoor courts and close stadium roofs.

The ATP introduced a new heat rule for the 2026 season, allowing a 10-minute cooling break when the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) reaches 30.1°C or higher during the first two sets of best-of-three matches. Play is suspended if the WBGT exceeds 32.2°C.

Day of Play Suspension

On Saturday, play on all outdoor courts was suspended when the HSS reached 5.0 and the temperature reached approximately 36°C (95-100°F). The roofs on Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena, and John Cain Arena were closed.

  • A women's singles match between Linda Nosková (Czech Republic) and Wang Xinyu (China) on Kia Arena was suspended for over four hours at 2-2.
  • The tournament recorded 51,048 attendees for the day session, a decrease from 62,065 on the corresponding Saturday the previous year.

Jannik Sinner's Match

Jannik Sinner defeated Eliot Spizzirri (US) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in the third round. During the match, Sinner experienced severe full-body cramps in the third set while trailing 3-1. The HSS reached 5.0, and the roof on Rod Laver Arena was closed at that moment, suspending play for eight minutes. Sinner stated, "I got lucky with the heat rule." After the match resumed, Sinner immediately broke back and won the third and fourth sets. Following the match, the tournament implemented a final-stage heat policy.

"I got lucky with the heat rule." — Jannik Sinner

Player Comments on Conditions

  • Jessica Pegula (US) stated a preference to play earlier to avoid the heat.
  • Amanda Anisimova (US) noted reliance on water and ice packs due to short breaks.
  • Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) stated she would prefer not to play in the heat but acknowledged the benefit of the heat rule and covered stadiums.

Other Results

  • Novak Djokovic (Serbia) advanced to the quarter-finals without playing his fourth-round match after Jakub Menšík (16th seed, Czech Republic) withdrew. Djokovic defeated his third-round opponent in straight sets.
  • Madison Keys (US) defeated Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) 6-3, 6-3.
  • Jessica Pegula (US) defeated Oksana Selekhmeteva (Russia) 6-3, 6-2.
  • Amanda Anisimova (US) defeated Peyton Stearns (US) 6-1, 6-4.
  • Luciano Darderi (22nd seed, Italy) defeated Karen Khachanov (15th seed, Russia) 6-7(5), 6-3, 3-6, 4-6.

Quarter-final Matchups

Men's Draw:

  • Lorenzo Musetti (6th seed, Italy) vs. Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
  • Jannik Sinner (Italy) vs. Ben Shelton (7th seed, US)

Women's Draw:

  • Iga Swiatek (Poland) vs. Elena Rybakina (5th seed, Kazakhstan)
  • Amanda Anisimova (4th seed, US) vs. Jessica Pegula (US)
  • Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) vs. Iva Jovic (US)
  • Coco Gauff (US) vs. Elina Svitolina (12th seed, Ukraine)

Medical Context

A medical study found tennis players' core temperatures can reach 39.4°C after two hours in hot conditions. The risk of heatstroke increases when core temperature exceeds 40°C.

French Open Results

Men's Draw

Second Round: Jannik Sinner's Loss

Top seed Jannik Sinner (world No. 1, Italy) lost to Juan Manuel Cerúndolo (world No. 56, Argentina) 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1. Sinner had won the first two sets and led 5-1 in the third set before experiencing physical distress, including dizziness and cramping. Sinner received a medical timeout after leading 5-1. He stated the loss was due to feeling unwell upon waking, not solely the heat. The match was played at midday in temperatures around 32°C (90°F). The tournament's heat rule based on WBGT was not activated.

This was Sinner's first loss since February 2024, ending a 30-match winning streak that included five consecutive Masters 1000 titles. With Sinner eliminated, Novak Djokovic became the only active Grand Slam champion remaining in the draw.

Third Round: Novak Djokovic's Loss

Third seed Novak Djokovic (Serbia) lost to Joao Fonseca (Brazil) 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 in the third round. Djokovic won the first two sets; Fonseca, aged 19, won the next three sets, marking Djokovic's second loss from a two-set lead at Roland Garros. Fonseca became the first teenager to defeat Djokovic at a Grand Slam. Djokovic stated he was "barely standing" toward the end of the match. This was Djokovic's earliest French Open exit since 2009. With Sinner, Djokovic, and Carlos Alcaraz (absent due to injury) eliminated, Alexander Zverev (2nd seed, Germany) became the top remaining seed.

"I was barely standing." — Novak Djokovic

Quarter-finals and Beyond

  • Alexander Zverev (2nd seed, Germany) defeated Jakub Menšík (26th seed, Czech Republic) 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the semifinals. Zverev will face Flavio Cobolli (Italy) in the final.
  • Flavio Cobolli (10th seed, Italy) advanced to the final after Matteo Arnaldi (Italy) withdrew due to illness.
  • Jakub Menšík (26th seed, Czech Republic) defeated Joao Fonseca (28th seed, Brazil) 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(3) in the quarter-finals.
  • Matteo Arnaldi (Italy) reached the quarter-finals after Matteo Berrettini (Italy) retired due to a left hip injury, with Arnaldi leading 7-5, 5-2.
  • Felix Auger-Aliassime (4th seed, Canada) lost to Flavio Cobolli in the quarter-finals 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
  • Casper Ruud (12th seed, Norway) lost to Joao Fonseca (28th seed, Brazil) in the quarter-finals 7-5, 7-6(8), 5-7, 6-2.
  • Rafael Jodar (27th seed, Spain) lost to Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals 7-6(3), 6-1, 6-3.

Women's Draw

Quarter-finals: Aryna Sabalenka's Loss

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) lost to Diana Shnaider (25th seed, Russia) 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 in the quarter-finals. Sabalenka won the first set and led 4-1 in the second set before losing 12 of the final 13 games. Wind gusts up to 26 mph affected play. Sabalenka stated she wanted to "quit tennis right now" but said she might reconsider in a few days.

"I wanted to quit tennis right now." — Aryna Sabalenka

Semifinals

  • Mirra Andreeva (8th seed, Russia) defeated Marta Kostyuk (15th seed, Ukraine) 6-1, 6-3 in 1 hour 16 minutes. Andreeva, aged 19, reached her first Grand Slam final. Kostyuk's previous 17-match winning streak on clay ended.
  • Maja Chwalińska (qualifier, Poland, ranked 114th) defeated Diana Shnaider (25th seed, Russia) 7-6(4), 6-4. Chwalińska became the second qualifier in the Open Era to reach a Grand Slam final, after Emma Raducanu at the 2021 US Open.

Final

Mirra Andreeva defeated Maja Chwalińska 6-3, 6-2 in the women's singles final. Andreeva, aged 19, became the youngest women's singles champion at Roland Garros since Monica Seles in 1992. Andreeva hit 25 winners to Chwalińska's 10 and had 26 unforced errors to 29. Due to the war in Ukraine, Andreeva competes under neutral status. Mary Pierce, the 2000 champion, presented the trophy.

Women's Doubles

Top-seeded Marcel Granollers (Spain) and Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) retained their title, defeating Harri Heliovaara (Finland) and Henry Patten (Great Britain) 6-4, 6-2.

Ukrainian Players

  • Marta Kostyuk (15th seed, Ukraine) defeated Iga Swiatek (Poland) 7-5, 6-1 in the fourth round, ending Swiatek's title defense. Kostyuk extended her winning streak on clay to 16 matches.
  • Elina Svitolina (12th seed, Ukraine) defeated Belinda Bencic (Switzerland) 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the fourth round.
  • Kostyuk defeated Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 in an all-Ukrainian quarter-final, becoming the first Ukrainian woman to reach the Roland Garros singles semifinals. Svitolina stated the achievement was important for Ukrainian tennis during the war.

Naomi Osaka vs. Aryna Sabalenka (Fourth Round)

Naomi Osaka (Japan) defeated top seed Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) 6-2, 7-6(2) in the fourth round. This was Sabalenka's first straight-sets defeat at a Grand Slam since the 2020 US Open. Sabalenka stated, "She overpowered me." Osaka advanced to the quarter-finals, where she faced Karolina Muchova (10th seed, Czech Republic). Sabalenka had previously won the 2025 US Open.

"She overpowered me." — Aryna Sabalenka on Naomi Osaka

Other Women's Round of 16 Results

  • Diana Shnaider (25th seed, Russia) defeated defending champion Coco Gauff (4th seed, US) 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-4 in the third round.
  • Sorana Cîrstea (18th seed, Romania) defeated Wang Xiyu (China) 6-3, 7-6(4) to reach her second Roland Garros quarter-final, 17 years after her first.

Men's Round of 16 Results

  • Juan Manuel Cerúndolo (Argentina) defeated Martín Landaluce (Spain) in 5 hours 58 minutes, the third longest match in tournament history.
  • Matteo Berrettini (Italy) saved two match points to defeat Francisco Comesaña (Argentina) 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(13) in 5 hours 13 minutes.