(May 29, 2026) A day after No. 1 Jannik Sinner was knocked out of the Roland Garros draw, another major upset saw three-time champion and No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic ousted in Paris. The Serbian was on a quest to win his 25th major title.
Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca, the 28th seed, rallied to beat the 24-time major champion 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 in just short of five hours on Friday to reach his first round of 16 at the French Open. He’ll face two-time French Open runner-up Casper Ruud for a spot it the quarterfinals.
With Djokovic’s loss, it means no major champions are left in the men’s draw and new major champion will be crowned.
“Ten minutes after the match I could realize a little bit what I did, what I achieved,” the 19-year-old Fonseca said. “How difficult it was and how amazing it was for me.”
“Of course, Jannik and Djokovic out, there’s more chances,” said Fonseca.
“Tough one for me to lose,” the 39-year-old Djokovic said. “I was barely standing on my legs toward the end of the match.”
“I just enjoyed being on court and what a pleasure it was. It’s my first stepping on court against him,” Fonseca said. “We still think he’s 20. At the end of the match I think he was more fit than me, that’s crazy.”
“Taking everything in consideration and all the circumstances, I think the level was really good,” said Djokovic.
“I told him (after the match) that he deserved to win and he should be proud of himself,” Djokovic said. “We’ve all seen today why there is hype around him.”
Djokovic was unsure if he would be returning to Paris next year.
“I actually didn’t [believe I could win],” Fonseca in his on-court interview. “I just played, I just enjoyed being on court. What a pleasure it was and what an idol we have. It’s a pleasure just stepping on the court against him. It’s my first time stepping on court against him, so just thanking him and I’m just very happy.”
In addition to celebrating the win, the 19-year-old also celebrated his mother’s birthday and wished her birthday greetings after the win.
This was the first time that Djokovic lost from two sets up, with the other also coming at Roland Garros, in 2010. It was also the first time he lost to a teenager at a major tournament.
