Novak Djokovic has reflected on his Roland Garros exit in a social media post.
Djokovic was beaten by Joao Fonseca in the third round of the Paris major, despite leading the Brazilian teenager by two sets.
This loss confirmed that there would be a new Grand Slam champion at Roland Garros this year, with Djokovic joining Jannik Sinner, who also suffered a shock early exit.
After having a night to reflect on his earliest Roland Garros exit in 17 years, Djokovic has posted a message on social media.
Novak Djokovic congratulates Joao Fonseca after losing to him at Roland Garros
Djokovic had some warm words for Fonseca at the net after being beaten by him in Paris, and he has continued this in a message on social media.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion wrote, “An epic battle, @joaoffonseca. And a hard-fought victory you deserve. Best of luck for the rest of the tournament and the incredible career you have ahead of you.
“As for Paris, you have my heart (love heart emoji hands).”
How many Grand Slam titles will Joao Fonseca win in his career?
What a match!
There is uncertainty as to whether Djokovic will ever return to Roland Garros, with the Serbian admitting he was unsure as to whether this was his last appearance at the tournament he has won three times before.
Fonseca is expected to have many more Roland Garros appearances ahead of him, but he is likely to be now sensing an opportunity with both Sinner and Djokovic no longer in the tournament.
What is next for Novak Djokovic after his Roland Garros exit?
Djokovic had only played one clay court match coming into Roland Garros this year, and his future in the sport remains somewhat unclear.
However, his immediate plans seem pretty clear, as Djokovic will now look ahead to Wimbledon.
Djokovic has not played a grass court tournament before Wimbledon since 2018, and is not expected to do so again this year.
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However, following his early exit from Roland Garros, Djokovic will drop down to at least world number seven in the ATP rankings, which means he could play world number one Sinner from as early as the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.
Djokovic will now have four weeks to prepare for Wimbledon, which gets underway on June 29.
