Jannik Sinner's surprise second round loss at Roland Garros has set the stage for an unexpected ending to the second grand slam of the year and provides a huge opportunity for those left in the men's draw.
After leading by two sets to love and serving at 5-1 in the third, Sinner, impacted by dizziness and cramp, allowed Juan Manuel Cerundolo back in the contest and lost 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1.
He had a chance to serve out the match twice but Cerundolo claimed 18 of the final 20 games and became the first man to oust the top-seeded player at Roland Garros before the third round since 2000.
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The Italian was looking to complete the career slam in Paris but his elimination paves the way for an unlikely winner at Roland Garros.
Sinner was the most dominant favourite going into a grand slam in the men's singles draw since Rafael Nadal at the 2009 French Open.
Ironically, Nadal also failed to win at Roland-Garros that year.
With Carlos Alcaraz also out with injury and Sinner now eliminated, the door is open to the rest of the field.
Australian Alex de Minaur is definitely in the mix but clay is not his best surface and he was struggling until the week before the French Open, when he went to Hamburg for an ATP 250 event and made the semi-finals.
His run at Roland Garros has so far been comfortable as he enjoyed a walkover in the second round and next plays No.27 Jakub Mensik, who collapsed on court after winning his brutal last match in a fifth-set tie-break.
It means if de Minaur can get past Mensik unscathed, he could enter the second week reasonably fresh.
The Australian is in the tougher bottom half of the draw and has reached the final eight just once before.
If he can get past Mensik he could very well play 11th seed Andrey Rublev in the fourth round before either two-time finalist Casper Ruud or three-time champion Novak Djokovic in the quarter-final.
Djokovic, who like de Minaur will be relieved the world No.1 is out, will play tonight against exciting Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca, with temperatures set to reach 34C.
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Temperatures are set to drop next week in Paris, so If the newly turned 39-year-old can get past Fonseca, the conditions in week two could be hugely beneficial.
He has been stuck on 24 grand slam titles since 2023.
Djokovic has proven he can still beat the best in the world following his victory over Sinner in this year's Australian Open semi-finals.
Djokovic lost to Alcaraz in the Melbourne final.
Last year, Djokovic lost in the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open semi-finals to either Alcaraz or Sinner.
The third seed is the only player left who knows what it takes to win a major and with the dominant top two in the world out of his way, this tournament could be a history-defining moment for the sport.
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