Jannik Sinner walked into Thursday’s second-round match at the 2026 French Open looking unbeatable. Sinner entered the day on a 30-match winning streak, one of the longest-such streaks in men’s tennis since 2000.
Through two sets, it looked as though that streak would continue. Then, disaster struck.
Sinner sustained what appeared to be a cramping injury during the third set. After being granted a controversial timeout, Sinner — the world’s No. 1 — never recovered, getting upset by Argentinian Juan Manuel Cerundolo, who came into the event as the No. 56 ranked men’s player.
Even considering Sinner’s injury, Cerundolo’s upset was among the biggest ever in the sport. Where does it rank among the biggest upsets in all sports, though? Let’s take a look at some of the contenders for that title.
Team USA defeats Russia at the 1980 Winter Olympics
Widely considered the biggest upset in sports history, Team USA somehow found a way to take down Russia’s dominant hockey team during the 1980 Winter Olympics. The Russian team had won eight of the last nine gold medals at the games, and were just days removed from taking down Team USA 10-3 in an exhibition game.
But Team USA found a way to hang with Russia in the medal round. Goalie Jim Craig recovered after giving up two early goals, allowing just one more despite a barrage of shots from the Russians. With time winding down, Mike Eruzione gave Team USA a narrow 4-3 lead. As time ran out, broadcaster Al Michaels declared, “Do you believe in miracles,” coining arguably the most iconic call in sports-broadcasting history.
Jets defeat Colts in Super Bowl III
New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath didn’t care about the odds. Despite his team being double-digit underdogs to the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, Namath guaranteed a win. He delivered on that promise, pulling out a 16-7 victory over the heavily-favored Colts. The game is notable not just for the upset, but for Namath’s guarantee. Other players have tried to repeat the act over the years — with some even being successful — but Namath’s proclamation has never truly been topped.
Giants beat undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII
The New England Patriots walked into Super Bowl XLII looking to make history. After a perfect regular-season, the Patriots were looking to become the first team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to win the Super Bowl without losing a single game.
But Eli Manning — with some clutch throws and a little help from the football gods — had other plans. After a strong performance by the Giants’ defense, Manning took the field with just over two minutes to play and led a game-winning drive that included the “helmet catch” and multiple late-down conversions. The Giants won the contest 17-14, sending Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and Randy Moss home disappointed.
Appalachian State takes down Michigan football
Michigan opened the 2007 season as the No. 5 ranked team in the country. Appalachian State was coming off two-straight Division I championships, but the general thought was the team couldn’t hang with the DIII elites.
Appalachian State, however, got off to an early lead, immediately putting Michigan on upset alert. But the Wolverines rallied, taking a one-point lead with just over four minutes to play. It felt as though order was restored and Michigan would claim its rightful spot as one of the sport’s elites.
But with 30 seconds left, Appalachian State hit a field goal to take the lead. Michigan gave it one last chance, driving down the field for a potential game-winning field goal of their own. It was blocked, giving Appalachian State a massive win over a college-football powerhouse.
Fairleigh Dickinson beats No. 1 seed Purdue in NCAA Tournament
Entering the 2023 NCAA Tournament, No. 1 seeds were 150-1 in the first round of the event. Given those odds, No. 1 seed Purdue had to feel good about itself when it took on No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson.
But — despite being 23.5 point underdogs — the Knights pulled off the upset, beating Purdue 63-58. Despite being named the Big Ten and national Player of the Year, Purdue big man Zach Edey was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament after just one game.
Fairleigh Dickinson’s time in the limelight didn’t last long, however, as the team dropped its next game to No. 9 Florida Atlantic.
Upset beats Man o’ War at the Sanford Memorial
Man o’ War is widely considered one of the greatest racehorses of all time. Over his career, Man o’ War turned in a 20-1 record. His only loss came against a horse with a very convenient name.
Man o’ War was upset by Upset at the 1919 Sanford Memorial. After getting out to a poor start, Man o’ War wasn’t able to fully recover, losing a close race.
While some credit the sports term “upset” to Upset’s victory over Man o’ War, that actually isn’t the case. The term “upset” existed before Upset’s big win.
Biggest upsets in tennis history
If limited to just tennis, Sinner’s second-round upset has some similarities to some of the biggest in the sport in recent memory.
The contenders for the biggest upset in tennis history include:
• Denis Istomin beating Novak Djokovic in the second round of the 2017 Australian Open
• Steve Darcis beating Rafael Nadal in the first round of Wimbledon in 2013
• Virginie Razzano beating Serena Williams in the first round of the 2012 French Open
• Robin Soderling beating Rafael Nadal in the fourth round at the 2009 French Open
• Sergiy Stakhovsky beating Roger Federer in the second round at Wimbledon in 2013
• Lukas Rosol beating Rafael Nadal in the second round at Wimbledon in 2012
Where does Jannik Sinner’s loss to Juan Manuel Cerundolo rank?
While Sinner’s upset Thursday is notable, it arguably doesn’t rank higher than some of the tennis-specific upsets above. Because of that, Sinner’s upset likely doesn’t rank among the biggest in sports history … but, in fairness, that’s a pretty impressive list.
On the tennis front, it’s likely on par with — but not bigger than — the matches listed above. In every instance above, the players who were upset — Djokovic, Federer, Nadal and Williams — were already deeper into their careers, and had longer track records of success in the sport. All four players had won at least six Grand Slam events before suffering their losses above. That number was in the double-digits for Djokokic, Federer and Williams.
Sinner is well on his way to reaching those heights. Since 2024, he’s won four Grand Slam events. He’s clearly established himself as one of the best, if not the best, men’s player in the game right now.
For that reason, Sinner’s upset is notable and certainly deserving of inclusion on the list of top upsets in recent tennis history. But from a ranking perspective, it might fall just below those listed above due to it coming fairly early during Sinner’s rise to stardom.
