An unexpected bombshell headlines the middle of the day as Jannik Sinner suffers a dramatic collapse and exits Roland Garros in the second round, once again leaving Paris as a brutal reminder of how unforgiving the tournament can be for the Italian. After last year's trauma with three championship points missed, another painful setback arrives in the Slam that still eludes him. With Sinner gone, the draw suddenly opens up, and attention shifts immediately to the contenders left standing: Casper Ruud, Alexander Zverev and Felix Auger-Aliassime, all now presented with a massive career opportunity. But the "old fox" Novak Djokovic remains firmly in the picture, ready to capitalise on any opening. Elsewhere, it's another day of spectacle in Paris. Fifth seed Ben Shelton adds to the chaos, falling to Raphaël Collignon in straight sets without earning a break point. The home crowd celebrates the rise of teenage sensation Moise Kouame... The home crowd celebrates the rise of teenage sensation Moise Kouame, while Martín Landaluce continues his impressive run. Francisco Cerundolo and Flavio Cobolli also secure strong wins, confirming a second round full of statements, shocks and shifting momentum across the draw.
Cerundolo stuns exhausted Sinner after dramatic physical collapse
Juan Manuel Cerundolo produced the biggest upset of the tournament so far, coming back from two sets down to stun Jannik Sinner in one of the strangest and most dramatic matches of the season. For more than two sets, the world No. 1 looked in complete control, despite already appearing physically drained after the brutal stretch of tennis that followed his return from suspension. Sinner led by two sets and moved within a single game of victory at 6-3, 6-?, 5-1, seemingly cruising toward another routine win before everything suddenly collapsed. Unable to close the match out, the Italian's physical and mental energy appeared to evaporate in real time. After seeing the lead shrink, Sinner requested a medical pause at 5-4 in the third set for what was officially treated as heat-related illness, though the interruption quickly generated controversy, with some questioning whether the issue was actually cramping. When he returned to court, Sinner looked unrecognisable. The intensity, timing and movement that had carried him through the opening stages disappeared completely as Cerundolo sensed the moment and refused to panic. The Argentine took the third set 7-5 before completely dominating the final two, both won 6-1, while a visibly exhausted Sinner struggled simply to remain competitive physically. To Cerundolo's credit, he stayed mentally solid in an atmosphere that could easily have overwhelmed him, but the match will inevitably be remembered primarily for the shocking collapse of the world No. 1. After the defeat, Sinner attempted to calm concerns, admitting that the crash was "probably predictable" after the amount of tennis he had played in recent months, while adding that he would undergo further checks and did not regret his heavy schedule.
Kouame survives Vallejo in instant Roland Garros classic
Moise Kouame continues his unbelievable breakthrough run at Roland Garros, surviving Daniel Vallejo 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6(8) after nearly five hours in one of the wildest and most emotionally chaotic matches of the tournament so far. The French teenager looked in complete control early on, dominating the opening two sets with explosive baseline tennis and feeding off a crowd entirely behind him. Kouame dictated relentlessly through the first hour and a half, overwhelming Vallejo with pace and aggression while also showing surprising composure in the biggest moments of the second set, where he recovered after briefly losing momentum. The match completely changed direction from the third onward. Vallejo abandoned the attempt to match Kouame shot for shot and instead transformed the contest into a physical war of resistance, extending rallies and dragging the Frenchman further behind the baseline. The tactical adjustment worked perfectly: Kouame's intensity began to fade, while the Paraguayan steadily took control both physically and mentally, cruising through the third and fourth sets. At that stage, the match appeared gone for the home favourite. Vallejo broke in the fifth and served for victory at 5-3, with Kouame visibly exhausted and struggling to maintain his level. Yet the 17-year-old somehow found another surge, attacking return games fearlessly and forcing the match back into chaos as the Lenglen crowd erupted behind him. The deciding super tiebreak somehow became even more dramatic. Kouame raced ahead 6-1 and looked moments away from victory before Vallejo produced one final comeback push, recovering all the way to 7-6 and threatening to complete a stunning turnaround of his own. In the end, however, Kouame held his nerve brilliantly, attacking the final exchange with courage and finishing the match at the net before collapsing onto the clay in exhaustion. It is the kind of match that can define an early Slam run - not just because of the quality, but because of the emotional weight required to survive it.
Collignon shocks Shelton to complete devastating day in the top quarter
Raphaël Collignon capped a chaotic Thursday by sweeping fifth seed Ben Shelton 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to record the biggest win of his career. The scoreline was emphatic, but the most damning detail was statistical - Shelton failed to create a single break point across three sets, never once pushing the Belgian to deuce on serve. Collignon's serving on clay was exceptional throughout. He won 88% of first-serve points and 71% on second serve while piling up 30 winners against just 13 unforced errors - a return-on-errors ratio that reflects a player who controlled the match from the first game. Shelton, whose return game has long been the most exploitable element of his game, had no answer to that precision and offered little resistance on the big points. The Belgian arrives in Paris in strong form, posting a 27-8 season record that includes a Challenger final in Bordeaux - where he lost to none other than Juan Manuel Cerundolo, the same man who toppled Sinner earlier in the day. With Sinner and Shelton both gone, Auger-Aliassime is now the only top-10 seed remaining in the top half of the draw. Collignon's reward is a third-round meeting with Matteo Arnaldi or Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Tien survives gruelling five-set battle to edge Diaz Acosta
Learner Tien edges Facundo Diaz Acosta in a five-set battle to reach the third round of Roland Garros 2026, winning 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-3 in 3 hours and 59 minutes on Court 6. The American started well, taking a tight opening set and building on the momentum from his first ATP clay-court win in Geneva. From the second set onwards, however, his level dipped, allowing Diaz Acosta, ranked No. 151, to gradually take control of large parts of the match and swing the momentum in his favor. Tien still found a way to stay alive in the fourth set, saving key moments before forcing a tiebreak to level the match and push it to a decider. In the fifth, the Argentine held firmer in the decisive exchanges, breaking at 3-3 and closing out a physically and mentally draining contest. Service stats told the story of a match decided on small margins: both players were almost identical on first serve points won (Tien 62% vs 65%), while Diaz Acosta slightly edged the American in total return efficiency and key moments on second serve. Tien produced more winners overall (54 to 44), but also accumulated a higher number of unforced errors (81), reflecting the volatility of a match played constantly on the edge.
Auger Aliassime rebounds from dropped set to dispatch Burruchaga in four
Felix Auger-Aliassime responds to a difficult opening match with a much more controlled performance, defeating Francisco Burruchaga in the second round of Roland Garros 2026 and booking his place in the third round. The Canadian, seeded No. 4, avoids the kind of upset that looked possible after his five-set struggle in the previous round, instead delivering a more stable and decisive display across the key phases of the match. FAA was particularly efficient behind serve, winning 85% of first-serve points and holding firm in crucial moments, including a solid 75% success rate in saving break points. Burruchaga, despite trying to extend rallies and apply pressure from the baseline, was unable to consistently hurt the Canadian in return games. The match followed a clearer pattern than FAA's opener: once the Canadian found rhythm on serve, he gradually took full control and closed out the encounter in straightforward fashion, confirming his status among the contenders expected to benefit from the absence of Sinner and Alcaraz in the second week.
Landaluce digs deep again to outlast Kopriva in another five-set war
Martín Landaluce continues his breakthrough Roland Garros 2026 run, surviving a second straight five-set fight to beat Vit Kopriva and reach the next round after 3 hours and 44 minutes of heavy baseline tennis. The young Spaniard once again shows why his spring is being closely followed, finding a way through another physical and mental test in a match that swung repeatedly from one side to the other. After already surviving a marathon earlier in the tournament, Landaluce proves he can now handle deep Slam matches back-to-back. Statistically, it was a tight contest across the board, with both players trading service holds and breaks in key moments. Landaluce managed to stay slightly more efficient in return games, converting 8 break points overall, while also holding firm in the crucial late stages of the fifth set. It wasn't a clean performance, but another statement win: two five-set victories in the same Slam, and a clear sign that his evolution on clay is accelerating.
Comesana upsets Darderi in five-set battle to reach best Slam result of career
Francisco Comesana pulls off a second-round upset at Roland Garros 2026, defeating Luciano Darderi 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 after 4 hours and 10 minutes on Court 6. The Argentine, ranked No. 102, delivers a controlled and consistent performance for large stretches of the match, especially behind serve, where he repeatedly managed to escape pressure moments and stay ahead in the key exchanges. Darderi, fresh off his strong run in Rome, was expected to push deeper in Paris but instead exits once again in the second round. The Italian had his chances, particularly in the fourth set where he forced a decider, but struggled to fully capitalise on break opportunities in a match defined by small margins. Comesana's ability to stay solid in the final set proved decisive, closing out a physical and nervy contest to reach the best Slam result of his career, while Darderi falls to his third career loss against the Argentine.
With the draw now open after the biggest shock of the tournament, Friday brings the start of the third round and a new wave of contenders ready to make their move. For the full preview of Friday's Roland Garros action - including Djokovic's third-round assignment - read our day six preview here.