The Sports Buff ⚽️ ⚾️ 🏈

For the past few seasons, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have taken it upon themselves to pick up the torch and help start the new age revolution in men’s tennis.

In a rivalry that is almost Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer-esque, the other man seems to get a lot out of the other simply by playing at a high standard. Once upon a time, the men’s game was a group of four who were always there or thereabouts in the big tournaments.

They were affectionately called the Fab Four. If those men were the Fab Four, maybe Sinner and Alcaraz are the woo-some two-some? Before Italian Sinner got sensationally knocked out by Argentine Manuel Cerundolo.

Sinner failed to regain his fitness. The 24-year-old was apparently heard saying he felt ‘dizzy’ in the sweltering heat and that he ‘wanted to vomit’. Argentina’s world number 56 won 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1.

This seismic shock would, in theory, have given players like Novak Djokovic a chance, but he, too, sensationally lost to Brazilian teenage sensation Joao Fonseca. The veteran Serb, winner of 24 Grand Slam events, was looking to make it his 25th Grand Slam title.

In front of a raucous crowd, Fonseca battled back from 3-1 down in the fifth set to win 4-6 4-6 6-3 7-5 7-5 after a gruelling four hours and 53 minutes.

Fonseca is the first teenager to beat the Serb at a major – a testament to the coolness and calmness he showed under pressure against one of the game’s all-time greats.

It is only the third time in 22 appearances that Djokovic has failed to reach the second week at Roland Garros. A chance missed for the legendary Serb, who arguably might have played his last tournament at Roland Garros.

With players like Fonseca on the scene, maybe that is a warning shot to the injured Carlos Alcaraz and defeated Jannik Sinner that they won’t have things all their own way.