Jannik Sinner, the penalizing choice of the French becomes a case

Jannik Sinner will face Juan Manuel Cerúndolo in the second round of Roland Garros 2026 after a successful debut against Frenchman Clément Tabur. The world No. 1 will thus continue his journey on the Paris clay against the Argentine, who comes from a three-set success over Britain’s Jacob Fearnley. The match is scheduled for Thursday, May 28, at 12 noon on Court Philippe Chatrier.

But what has caused most controversy is the time location of the match, chosen as the opening of the program on center court. It is a decision that has caused puzzlement, considering the expected conditions in Paris, with high sun and temperatures near 30°C. Many would have expected greater protection for the ATP No. 1 ranking by placing it in a less exposed time slot or at least as the second or third match of the day.

The risk is that of a particularly demanding playing environment, with the heat and direct exposure likely to affect the progress of the match, adding a physical variable that is not secondary to the sporting endeavor.

After Sinner’s match, the Chatrier schedule features three matches also starring home players and circuit bigwigs, including Parry-Li, Jacquemot-Sabalenka and Rinderknech-Berrettini.

A historical detail also underscores how it was not so frequent to see a men’s match open the program on the Central: a rare situation in recent years, occurring very few times since the arrival of Amélie Mauresmo as tournament director.