Djokovic falls to Fonseca in epic; Sinner and Medvedev early exits shock clay

The 2026 French Open produced seismic upsets this week, with Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic both exiting early—a pairing of departures that guarantees a first-time champion in Paris. The world No. 1, Sinner, fell in the second round to Manuel Cerundolo Juan, ranked 56 spots below, in a stunning upset that rippled through the men's draw. The seismic shock came when teenage sensation João Fonseca, 19, rallied from two sets down to defeat Djokovic 4–6, 4–6, 6–3, 7–5, 7–5 in a five-set epic that eliminated the 24-time Grand Slam champion from his quest for a record 25th title. On the women's side, upsets mounted with equal ferocity: Elena Rybakina fell to Y. Starodubtseva in the second round, Jessica Pegula lost early to Kimberly Birrell, and Amanda Anisimova fell to Diane Parry in the third. Daniil Medvedev, seeded eighth, exited to Adam Walton in the first round, extending a pattern of seeded players falling to unranked or lowly-ranked challengers. Ben Shelton, the fifth-seeded American, lost in the second round to Raphael Collignon. Beyond the court, the tournament faced scrutiny over courtside layout hazards that have injured multiple players, with Iga Swiatek and others calling for immediate changes. The tournament continues to decide who will emerge from the chaos as the new titleholders in both draws.