Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff made it through to the French Open third round on Thursday after the shock elimination of men’s world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.

Sabalenka survived 7-5, 6-2 against France’s Elsa Jacquemot, contrasting to the loss by her fellow world No. 1 on the men’s side.

Gauff extended the defence of her 2025 title here, putting out Mayar Sherif of Egypt 6-3, 6-2, with the winner equally balanced between 23 winners and the same in unforced errors.    

Sabalenka had to scrap in the opening against Jacquemot, requiring three set points for the early lead.

But the second set opened up for the top seed Sabalenka. But the runner-up a year ago to Gauff was broken, 5-2, as she served for the match.

Sabalenka drove a backhand winner down the line a game later for two match points. One was enough to send the favourite through to a match against Daria Kasatkia.

The top seed advanced with more than 40 winners and broke her opponent four times. 

“It was a tricky match, tricky opponent,” the winner said. “She forced me to step up and play another level.

“I’m happyI was able to handle it and get the win.”

Sabalenka said that in the tight moments she had to remind herself of her strengths,

“I had to remind myself that I’m strong and I can handle the situation. I tried to work as fast as possible with my legs and accelerate the racquet head, stay aggressive and put pressure on her.”

Formerly top-ranked Naomi Osaka shrugged off any effects of a minor car crash she was involved in this week to earn a 7-6 (1), 6-4 win over Olympic silver medalist Donna Vekic.

The pair last played seven years ago with Osaka now leading the series 3-0.

The former world No. 1 from Japan explained her Paris traffic incident:

“I wasn’t scared for my life, but I was just, like, whoa, this bus is really backing up into us, and you could hear the car crunching. 

“That was a really interesting situation. So I hope it doesn’t happen again today.

“It was like it just couldn’t see us. It literally was crunching the car, and it just kept going. I was a little bit worried that it would turn the car, but I think eventually it saw us, so…”

Osaka returned to the Paris third round for the first time in seven years and now plays Iva Jovic.

Oleksandra Oliynykova, who has made a point this week of speaking out forcefully against the Russian invasion of her native Ukraine, defeated Australian Kimberly Birrell 6-3, 0-6, 7-6 (5).

She becomes the fourth Ukrainian woman into the third round along with Elina Svitolina, Marta Kostyuk and Yulia Starodubtseva.

Osaka returned to the Paris third round for the first time in seven years 

Austrian Julia Grabher had to quit against sixth seed Amanda Anisimova due to breathing troubles.

Grabher lost the opening set in 25 minutes as she was plagued by coughing and won only six points.

She eventually retired after her opponent returned from a bathroom break after winning the set 6-0.

Jannik Sinner’s 30-match win streak ended in brutal fashion on Thursday as the world No. 1 lost his second-round match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo after dominating in the first two sets.

The world No. 1 and runaway title favourite was struck by heat illness and cramping as he led two sets and 5-1 in the third.

But any chances of a routine straight-sets result evaporated in 33 Celsius heat,with Cerundolo earning the win of his life 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1.

Sinner’s problems began late in the third set on the cusp of the win, with the 24-year-old likely starting to cramp while feeling poorly.

He was broken for 5-3 while serving for the match and lost 11 points in a row as his physical decline picked up speed.

The Italian leaned heavily on his racquet after points and appeared listless in his shot as his strength waned. He applied the ice towels and hand-held fan at every opportunity on changeovers as he slumped in his chair. 

The doctor and trainer arrived as the top seed stood 5-4, 0-40 and took him off court under the rules for what amounted to five minutes of treatment.

The session did little good as Cerundolo won the set to suddenly move into contention.

Sinner went off court after the set but showed no improvement as he lost seven games on the trot as the match hit the three-hour mark.

It was just a matter of time as Cerundolo finished off the fading world No. 1 with a volley winner on the first of three match points.

“It was tough for him, the Argentine winner said. “I also feel a bit lucky. He was serving to win the match. I hope he recovers quickly.

“I’m super-happy to be in the third round. Clay is my best surface and I hope to be ready for the next match.”

The loss was the second major shock for Sinner here after wasting three match points in the 2025 Paris final against Carlos Alcaraz.

Cerundolo is the fifth player at Roland Garros to defeat a world No. 1 before the third round in the Open era.

He is the first since Karol Kucera in 2000 to beat the world No. 1 here.

“I didn’t feel very well on court, but it can happen,” Sinner said. “I was in a good spot, but third set, I couldn’t serve it out. 

“Congrats to him. I don’t want to take anything away from him. He played a very solid match, especially also in the end.

“I struggled, starting to feel very dizzy (third set), very low on energy. 

“I tried to serve it out, but didn’t have a lot of energy. Fourth set, I let it go a little bit trying to have a bit more energy in the fifth. I couldn’t hold and then it all went a bit downwards.”   

Main photo:- Jannik Sinner suffering heat exhaustion as he loses from 2 sets and 5-1 up – ©ATPTour.com

An injury to partner Hailey Baptiste has left Venus Williams without a doubles partner, ending the 45-year-old’s return to Roland Garros.

Seven-times Grand Slam singles champion Williams, who lifted the team title in 2010 with sister Serena, had been set to compete with her US compatriot, aged 24.

Williams last played singles in Paris five years ago and played her last doubles that same year.

Baptiste was taken off court on Wednesday in a wheelchair with undetermined injuries to her left leg after trying for a leaping return falling awkwardly on the clay in the second round against China’s Xiyu Wang.

She screamed in pain as the match was ended, burying any chance of a doubles appearance for Williams.

Williams and sister Serena – each virtually retired – have both asked for wild cards on British grass this summer.

Thanks to sporadic singles play, Venus is ranked 459 while Serena is unofficially off of the ranking list past the 900 mark.

Main photo:- Hailey Baptiste landed awkwardly in second round match and was unable to continue