Teen sensation Joao Fonseca shocks Djokovic in five-set thriller at Roland-Garros
Novak Djokovic’s bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title ended tonight at Roland-Garros after the 39-year-old Serb collapsed from a two-set lead to lose 6-7(5), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca in the third round. The defeat, sealed on Court Philippe-Chatrier at 21:47 local time, marks Djokovic’s earliest exit at the French Open since 2017 and guarantees a first-time men’s champion at this year’s tournament.
Fonseca, ranked 47th in the world, became the youngest player to eliminate Djokovic at a Grand Slam since 2005, when a 17-year-old Rafael Nadal defeated him in Miami. The Brazilian saved three set points in the opening tie-break, then broke Djokovic’s serve three times in the final set to complete the comeback. Djokovic, who had not lost a completed five-set match at Roland-Garros since 2015, committed 52 unforced errors—22 more than his opponent—and failed to convert any of his seven break points in the decider.
The loss follows Jannik Sinner’s surprise second-round exit earlier this week, leaving the men’s draw without its top two seeds. Fonseca, who trains at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, will face either Andrey Rublev or Pedro Borges in the fourth round. Rublev, the No. 5 seed, overcame Borges 7-5, 6-2 earlier today, while world No. 1 Iga Świątek cruised past Magda Linette 6-2, 6-1 to advance to the women’s fourth round.
Djokovic’s defeat ends his streak of 12 consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals and leaves him without a major title since winning Wimbledon in 2025. The Serb, who turned 39 last week, had arrived in Paris nursing a right knee injury but insisted before the tournament that he was “100%” fit. Tonight’s match, played in 28°C heat, saw Djokovic’s movement visibly decline in the final two sets, with Fonseca targeting his backhand and exploiting his opponent’s fatigue.
Fonseca, the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals champion, is the first Brazilian man to reach the second week at Roland-Garros since Gustavo Kuerten in 2004. His victory continues a trend of young players disrupting the established order: Carlos Alcaraz, 23, remains the only active player under 30 with multiple Grand Slam titles. With Djokovic and Sinner out, the path to the final now appears wide open, though Rublev, Daniil Medvedev, and Alcaraz—who plays tomorrow—are the highest remaining seeds.
Djokovic, who has won the French Open three times (2016, 2021, 2023), had been chasing Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 major singles titles. His next opportunity will come at Wimbledon, where he is a seven-time champion, beginning on 30 June.
Teen sensation Joao Fonseca shocks Djokovic in five-set thriller at Roland-Garros
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