Jannik Sinner Being Allowed Medical Timeout for Cramps During Shock Roland Garros Upset Called Out by Fans – “Disgusting Preferential Treatment”

For the first time since the 2023 US Open, the tennis world will see a Grand Slam champion whose name is not Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz, due to a wrist injury, withdrew from the ongoing Roland Garros.

First seed Sinner once again suffered an exit because his body couldn’t handle the extreme heat. On Thursday (May 28), in the second round of the French Open, Sinner needed just one game to win the match, but he couldn’t get over the line, all due to severe cramps.

The Italian ace led 6-3, 6-2, 5-1 before he was hit by cramps. This saw his opponent, Juan Manuel Cerundolo, win 16 consecutive points, and he tied the scores to 5-5. But before that, leading 5-4, 0-40 in the third set, he was allowed a medical timeout, and he left the court. Former player Jim Courier did not like what he saw from TNT Sports’ commentators’ box.

This is unquestionably not an injury. This is unfair for Cerundolo. The clock should be counting. He should be getting penalized for this. This is not an injury. He is reacting to different areas of his body; this is not like an ankle injury. This is clearly cramping. It’s not right. It’s not fair. [Daniil] Medvedev in Rome in their semi-final when Sinner got a medical timeout for seemingly a loss of conditioning. It’s clearly cramps.

Jim Courier said

Sinner suffered from cramps during the Italian Open semifinal against Medvedev, who then complained to the chair umpire and, later at the press conference, urged the ATP to allow medical timeouts for cramps to avoid controversy.

Alcaraz took a medical timeout during his Australian Open five-set semifinal duel against Alexander Zverev, who accused the tournament of “protecting” the World No.1 and the World No.2 “all the time“.

Zverev had the same reaction when he was playing Alcaraz in the semifinals of the Australian Open. Alcaraz, the same things. We love the top players; they are great for the sport, but you have to apply the rules fairly. The rules are being bent for the top players. You cannot tell me you have to take him off court to see what his vital signs are like. This is absolute baloney.

Jim Courier added

Sinner was the heavy favorite to complete the Career Grand Slam as he lifted the first five Masters 1000s of the season and completed the Career Golden Masters, becoming the second man after Novak Djokovic to do so. Cerundolo broke Sinner’s 30-match winning streak.

Fans slam the Roland Garros for allowing Jannik Sinner a medical timeout

Players are not allowed medical timeouts for cramps. So, fans heavily criticized the Roland Garros for allowing Jannik Sinner to receive treatments for cramps. Some fans are convinced that the tennis bosses are doing everything they can to protect a high-profile player like Sinner.

Check out their reactions here:

Getting an MTO for cramps again. Of course

— 🦋 Yolita🐊 (@Yolitatennis) May 28, 2026

This guy is a total rat, ATP hard to watch nowadays with this guy as their golden goose

— LKM (@TheDecemberX) May 28, 2026

Shit like this makes me see what Zverev and others are saying about tournaments trying to get Sinner to win

— Goose&Da🧃 (@ChampagnephiIII) May 28, 2026

Announcers are right- Mensik faced every penalty yesterday and was so unwell he collapsed while top players are given different rules- not fair to the other players

— MSF of HGHS (@MSFofHGHS) May 28, 2026

They need to eliminate this. His ranking is the only reason why. His team is falling short of figuring out his cramping issues

— vgdolly (@vgdolly) May 28, 2026

Mensik almost died in the court yesterday and he was given penalty after penalty.. why Sinner is given the permission to abandon court on the middle of a game??????

— Michael Douglas (@mdouglash_) May 28, 2026

Sinner’s true level guys this is who sinner truly is Establishment protected fraud All his slam wins are fluke Medvedev choked , zverev is fraud , dimi retired , Alcaraz not 100% All the wrongdoings from past few months were corrected by our saviour Cerundolo junior

— Bill clinton lewinsky (@Billclinton2222) May 28, 2026

Disgusting preferential treatment. Even Jim courier called it out

— Sam (@Samj0001) May 28, 2026

This is the first time since the 2022 French Open that Sinner has lost a Grand Slam match in the second round. Before the French Open, Novak Djokovic stopped his bid for a three-peat at the Australian Open with a five-set win in the semifinals.

Now that the tournament is without Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner, Djokovic, another contender for the title, will be hoping to finally end his Grand Slam title drought. Since the 2024 season, either Sinner or Alcaraz or injuries (except the 2024 US Open) have ended Djokovic’s Grand Slam run. It was the four-time Major champion who defeated the Serb in the semifinals of last year’s French Open.

Also read: Coco Gauff Explains Sporting Black Hair on Tour at Roland Garros