Novak Djokovic lost to Joao Fonseca in the third round of the French Open.
Looking to move one step closer to that elusive 25th Grand Slam, Djokovic led 6-4, 6-4, on Court Philippe Chatrier.
But Fonseca refused to be beaten, battling back to win in five sets, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5.
How many Grand Slam titles will Joao Fonseca win in his career?
What a match!
During his post-match press conference, Djokovic admitted what cost him the match.
Novak Djokovic admits he ‘ran out of gas’ in defeat to Joao Fonseca
“It would be nice if it was best of three!” said Djokovic.
“But it’s not…
“Yeah, I just ran out of gas, to be honest.
“I didn’t feel good at all on the court in the last couple of sets.”
It’s no surprise that Djokovic ‘ran out of gas’ when you consider his preparation for the tournament.
The Serb had only played once on clay heading into Roland Garros, leaving him out of match practice for the second Grand Slam of the year.
Novak Djokovic’s 2026 clay-court record (2-2)
- Italian Open 2R [LOSS] vs Dino Prizmic, 6-2, 2-6, 4-6
- French Open 1R [WIN] vs Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4
- French Open 2R [WIN] vs Valentin Royer, 6-3, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3
- French Open 3R [LOSS] vs Joao Fonseca, 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 5-7
Djokovic still had chances to win, but knows he was beaten by the better player on the day.
“I think the end of the fourth was my chance, 4-3, 15-40, he just played really good points, he was attacking, big serves… When I look back, in important moments, could I have done something different? You can always say yes, but you just have to say ‘Well done’, congratulate him, hats off,” he said.
“He just played lights-out tennis every time there was a decisive moment, he went for it.
Joao Fonseca vs Novak Djokovic – Match stats
| Stats | Joao Fonseca | Novak Djokovic |
| Aces | 11 | 8 |
| Double faults | 1 | 1 |
| 1st Serve % | 74% | 71% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 69% | 68% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 44% | 54% |
| Break points | 6/15 | 5/16 |
“Maybe my only fault was 3-1 in the fifth, serving, when I dropped the serve.
“But again he played a couple of very aggressive points, any ball coming to his forehand, around the forehand, he was crushing it, it was really hard to read, and was playing with extreme pace…
“Break point to come back into the match, three aces. What can you do, the strongest aces of the whole match. The only thing you can say is well done, that’s it.”
Leading 6-5, a game from victory, Fonseca fell behind 30-40, gifting Djokovic a break point.
But out of nowhere, Fonseca served three consecutive aces to defeat Djokovic and book his place in the last 16.
Despite failing in his bid to win a 25th Grand Slam, Djokovic will leave Paris with his head held high.
“The amount of hours I played in three matches here felt like I played every tournament in the last three months, to be honest,” he said.
“I think I was playing good tennis, a good level, considering I was injured for three months, trying to come back, and then going pretty much straight into a Grand Slam on this surface that is very demanding and for me, takes more time to get used to and find my groove.
“But taking everything into consideration, and all the circumstances, I think the level was really good. I was happy with my level.
“Of course, right now, feeling disappointed right off the court, losing being close to winning, but yeah, that’s all I can say.”
Djokovic will now turn his attention to Wimbledon, where he will resume his search for one last Grand Slam title…
Novak Djokovic’s Grand Slam semi-final streak ends
Before losing to Fonseca in Paris, Djokovic had reached the semi-finals or better at each of the last five Grand Slam tournaments.
An impressive record for anyone, but for someone in their late 30s, it was an otherworldly achievement.
Novak Djokovic’s Grand Slam semi-final streak
- 2025 Australian Open – Lost in SF to Alexander Zverev
- 2025 French Open – Lost in SF to Jannik Sinner
- 2025 Wimbledon – Lost in SF to Jannik Sinner
- 2025 US Open – Lost in SF to Carlos Alcaraz
- 2026 Australian Open – Lost in F to Carlos Alcaraz
Whether he can kickstart another streak at Wimbledon remains to be seen.
The 2026 Wimbledon Championships begin on Monday, June 29.
