Novak Djokovic suffered his earliest Roland Garros exit in 17 years, losing to Joao Fonseca in the third round.
Leading by two sets to love, Djokovic looked set for the fourth round, where he would have met Casper Ruud.
But it wasn’t to be, as Fonseca fought back to beat Djokovic in five sets, becoming just the second player to defeat the Serb from two sets down.
How many Grand Slam titles will Joao Fonseca win in his career?
What a match!
Despite losing, Djokovic earned plenty of praise on Friday evening, especially from former ATP pros Sam Querrey and John Isner.
Sam Querrey and John Isner marvel at Novak Djokovic’s ‘insane’ longevity and fitness at 39
During TNT Sports’ post-match coverage, Querrey was keen to give Djokovic his flowers.
“I also think we have to give our flowers to Novak Djokovic. The man is 39 years old, that match was four hours, 53 minutes. Wasn’t cramping, I don’t think; he was battling until the end,” he said.
“He’s played over 1,400 (1,409) matches in his career; there is a lot of guys out here, 37, 38-year-olds, who have had great careers, and they’ve played 700, 800 matches.
“Let’s not forget he’s played over 1,400 matches, so the amount of wear and tear on his body is almost double everyone else’s, and he almost played five hours.”
Isner continued, reminding fans about Djokovic’s run to the third round.
“And prior to that match, he was on court for six hours and 35 minutes in two four-set encounters,” he said.
“Absolutely insane what Novak Djokovic is still doing.”
Novak Djokovic at the 2026 French Open
| Round | Opponent | Result | Score | Match time |
| 1R | Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard | WIN | 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 | 2hr, 51 |
| 2R | Valentin Royer | WIN | 6-3, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 | 3hr, 28 |
| 3R | Joao Fonseca | LOSS | 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 5-7 | 4hr, 53 |
- Total time on court at the 2026 French Open – 11hr, 12
Even in defeat, Djokovic left everything he had out on the court, entertaining the fans on Court Philippe Chatrier.
If that is to be the last match Djokovic plays at Roland Garros, it wasn’t a bad way to go out, was it?
Have we seen the last of Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros? 😢
John Isner reacts after receiving shout-out from Joao Fonseca
Fonseca deserved the win, serving three consecutive aces to save a break point and seal the win against Djokovic.
“I guess I just believed I could do aces,” said Fonseca.
“I felt like John Isner!
“It was crazy, I never did that before.
“I was just super happy that I could finish like this.”
After the match, Isner reacted to his surprise shout-out.
“Yeah, I didn’t think my name was going to get mentioned in his post-match interview!” he said.
“I’ve been in that situation before, hit some aces on match points, but maybe not against the greatest player of all time at a Grand Slam like this.
“I’m pretty humbled – what a nice guy!
“He’s my new favourite player!
“We’re just lucky to have a player like this, this good in Brazil, with this following.
“The last time I think we saw a player possibly this good was an absolute legend at Roland Garros, Guga Kuerten.”
Gustavo Kuerten won three Roland Garros titles, lifting the trophy in 1997, 2000, and 2001.
His first French Open triumph was one of the most shocking in tournament history, beginning the event as the world number 66, having won a Challenger title the week before.
At 30 in the world, Fonseca’s win wouldn’t be quite so surprising, especially given how open the draw is, but it would still be a landmark moment for Brazilian tennis.
Looking to move one step closer to the title, Fonseca will play Ruud in the fourth round on Sunday, May 31.
