Cerundolo speaks candidly about Jannik Sinner: “There was something strange about it”

In an interview with *Corriere della Sera*, Juan Manuel Cerundolo looked back on his surprising victory over Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros, revealing some previously unknown behind-the-scenes details. “At the start of the match, the only thing I noticed was that Jannik had taken an energy gel; then I focused on what I needed to do.”

The Argentine, who went into the match without any pressure, was dominated in the first two sets and in the third, before the incredible finish. “I noticed something strange about his legs; he was moving as if he had cramps. The momentum of the match began to shift, and I realized there might be a chance for me.”

“Sinner seemed to know in advance what was going to happen,” Cerundolo continued. “I saw confirmation of that in the fourth set—he couldn’t recover, and the match turned around. His intensity dropped, the power of his shots diminished, and he was struggling to run. I didn’t expect to win even after the third and fourth sets. In the fifth, I told myself, ‘Give it a shot—you never know what might happen.’”

With his medical checkups and a brief vacation in Sardinia with his girlfriend Laila Hasanovic behind him, the champion from Sesto Pusteria has returned to training in Monte Carlo ahead of Wimbledon, where he aims to defend the title he won last season. He will also participate in the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic, the prestigious exhibition tournament on the grass courts of London’s Hurlingham Club—a traditional warm-up event for the British Grand Slam—scheduled to begin on June 29.