Jannik Sinner moved one step closer to a potential French Open title run Tuesday, and attention quickly turned to who the world No. 1 will face next at Roland Garros after advancing into the second round, as expected.
With Sinner entering the tournament as one of the clear favorites to win the French Open, his second-round matchup immediately became a major focus for tennis fans tracking the evolving draw and potential championship path.
The answer is Argentine left-hander Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, the 24-year-old Buenos Aires native who eliminated British standout Jacob Fearnley to claim his second-round berth.
Sinner’s pursuit runs deeper than match-by-match advancement. A title in Paris would make him just the seventh man in the Open Era to complete the career Grand Slam, and would go a long way toward erasing last year’s final, in which three match points against Carlos Alcaraz slipped away in a crushing five-set loss.
Who Is Juan Manuel Cerúndolo?
GettyJuan Manuel Cerúndolo of Argentina plays a backhand during their men’s singles first-round match against Jacob Fearnley of Great Britain on Day 3 of the 2026 French Open at Roland Garros on May 26, 2026, in Paris, France.
Cerúndolo, ranked No. 56 on the ATP Tour, is not yet a household name. But the Argentine southpaw nicknamed “El Mago,” Spanish for “The Magician,” has built a credible résumé since turning pro in 2018.
Born Nov. 15, 2001, in Buenos Aires, he grew up steeped in the sport. His father, Alejandro, competed on the ATP circuit in the 1980s and later ran an academy with Cerúndolo’s mother, where Juan Manuel first held a racket at age 3. His older brother, Francisco, is also an active ATP Tour player, currently ranked No. 26.
Juan Manuel’s breakthrough came at the 2021 Córdoba Open, where he won the title as a qualifier in his ATP debut â defeating seven opponents in nine days while ranked 335th in the world at age 19. He has since built a 156-81 Challenger record with 12 titles and reached the final of the 2025 Gstaad tournament, topping two-time champion Casper Ruud along the way. His stated favorite surface is clay and favorite tournament is Roland Garros, according to his ATP Tour bio.
Cerúndolo Beats Fearnley to Earn Sinner Clash
In his Roland Garros opener, Cerúndolo controlled Fearnley from the outset, closing out a 6-2, 7-6 (0), 7-6 (7) win. Fearnley, who reached the third round in Paris in 2025, pushed back in both tiebreaks but could not sustain it on clay.
Sinner’s opening performance offered little hope to the rest of the draw. The world No. 1 summarily dismissed French wild card Clément Tabur 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 on Court Philippe-Chatrier, running his winning streak to 30 consecutive matches. He hit 40 winners, double Tabur’s total, without facing a break point in two hours and eight minutes.
“I’m very happy to be back here,” Sinner said after the match, as quoted by the official Roland Garros website. “It’s a very special place and I have great memories overall. First round matches are never easy, but it’s even more special to start the tournament during a night session.”
The second-round matchup is set for Thursday. A specific start time had not been announced as of Tuesday night. Roland Garros releases its order of play the evening before each session. Sinner enters as a prohibitive favorite, but Cerúndolo’s left-handed game and clay-court pedigree make him a more dangerous draw than his ranking signals.
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