What’s going on at the French Open? Tennis fans were thrown off balance yesterday when world number one Jannik Sinner—who seemed almost certain to win this last major he needs for a career Grand Slam, especially with Carlos Alcaraz injured—struggled badly in the heat and lost in five sets to Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo, ranked 56th in the world. It’s always a shame to lose the top player on such a big stage, but Sinner’s exit opens up some exciting possibilities—and clears the path for what could be a historic final.

First things first (and this is obvious): this doesn’t make it any easier for Novak Djokovic, seeded third here. Sinner and Djokovic were on opposite sides of the draw, so Novak will still likely have to get past second-seeded Alexander Zverev, 15th seed Casper Ruud, or eighth-seeded Alex de Minaur to have a shot at his 25th Grand Slam title. But first up for him is 28th seed Joao Fonseca, who he’s playing this morning in a match many are calling a potential generational moment. Fonseca grew up playing on clay in Brazil, and at his best, he can beat almost anyone. Whether that’s enough to get past the sport’s master of strategy and cunning—who, at 39, can still run opponents ragged on these heat-soaked courts—remains to be seen. (We’ll be watching.)

As for the heat: it’s just one of the obstacles that have caused some chaos in the first weeks of matches. American upstart Hailey Baptiste tore her ACL and meniscus, which will keep her out for about six months. Turkish player Zeynep Sönmez and Belgian Alexander Blockx both had to retire from the tournament after stepping on advertising boards placed on the court. Czech player Jakub Mensik won his second-round match in five grueling sets—but cramped up so badly after match point that he couldn’t get off the court and had to be taken away in a wheelchair. (He’s playing de Minaur now in what should be a lively match. Ruud, meanwhile, plays American Tommy Paul soon in another promising matchup. And early tomorrow morning, American prodigy Learner Tien faces Italy’s Flavio Cobolli for a spot in the fourth round.)

On the women’s side, both third-seeded Iga Swiatek and 15th-seeded Marta Kostyuk (who’s been on a career-high roll lately, especially on clay) cruised through their third-round matches and will face each other on Sunday. Tomorrow brings a strong lineup of matches we’ll be watching: 17th-ranked American Iva Jovic, clearly on the rise, vs. 16th-ranked Naomi Osaka; world number one Aryna Sabalenka vs. Daria Kasatkina; ninth-ranked Victoria Mboko (in the news yesterday for her rumored doubles pairing with a returning Serena Williams at the Wimbledon warm-up at Queens Club) vs. 19th-ranked American Madison Keys, who’s been making deep runs lately; and fourth-seeded Coco Gauff vs. Anastasia Potapova.

All in all, it should be an amazing weekend of tennis—though the temperatures that have caused problems for some players are expected to get even worse, reaching around 94 degrees today and 92 tomorrow. (For comparison, the match Sinner struggled in started at about 84 degrees and peaked around 90.)

As for the big question: no, we don’t know who’s going to win it all now. But whoever wins the semifinal from the bottom half of the men’s draw (let’s go out on a limb and say that will be Zverev vs. Djokovic) would seem to have an easy final. We’ll pick Zverev—one of the best players of his era who still doesn’t have a Grand Slam title. On the women’s side, well: would you bet against Sabalenka? She’s got a tough draw, though, and would potentially have to beat Coco, Jovic or Osaka, and…Mboko is heading to the final. On the other side of the draw, we have Swiatek, Kostyuk—and the ever-present wild-card chance of eighth-seeded Mirra Andreeva, if she can turn her intensity into results.

Either way, welcome the new, wide-open brackets and enjoy the tennis!

Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs based on the topic With Jannik Sinner out who will win the French Open Heres a look at the mustsee matches this weekend

BeginnerLevel Questions

1 Why is Jannik Sinner out of the French Open
He withdrew before the tournament started due to an injury

2 Who is the favorite to win now that Sinner is gone
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are the top favorites followed by Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud

3 I dont know much about tennis What matches should I watch this weekend
Look for any match featuring Carlos Alcaraz Novak Djokovic or Iga Swiatek The mens quarterfinals and semifinals will be the most exciting

4 What is the French Open
Its the major claycourt tennis tournament held in Paris every year

5 Does Sinners absence mean an easier path for everyone else
Yes it opens up his quarter of the draw making it easier for players like Stefanos Tsitsipas or Daniil Medvedev to reach the final without facing him

IntermediateLevel Questions

6 Now that Sinner is out who has the best chance from his section of the draw
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev are the top seeds left in Sinners quarter Tsitsipas a twotime finalist here has a slight edge on clay

7 Are there any mustsee matches this weekend that could decide the tournament
Yes Watch for a potential Djokovic vs Casper Ruud semifinal or an Alcaraz vs Tsitsipas quarterfinal Any match between top10 players is a mustsee

8 How does Sinners absence affect Novak Djokovics chances
It helps Djokovic significantly Sinner was the only player who beat him consistently in 2024 Without him Djokovics path to the final is less threatening

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