Novak Djokovic walked off Court Philippe-Chatrier on Friday in tears. He had just spent four hours and 53 minutes losing a five-set match to a 19-year-old Brazilian. The Serb had a two-set lead and was in firm control of the match. He left shattered in 90-degree heat.
In the post-match interview, Djokovic said he wasn’t sure if he would be back at Roland Garros next year (make of that what you will).
Joao Fonseca, for his part, called Djokovic his idol in the on-court interview. Think about that for a moment. The man he beat in five sets, clawing back from two sets down in conditions that were punishing everyone this week, was someone he grew up worshipping. The torch was not just passed, it was torn away, spattered with sweat, tears, and red clay.
Fonseca is the first teenager in history to beat Djokovic at a major, but the 24-time slam champ didn’t make it easy. Djokovic vomited on court. He played through hand cramps. He went toe-to-toe with someone literally half his age for nearly five hours and still gave it everything he had. There is no shame in that loss. But for a man who spent two decades refusing to lose matches — even when he was playing poorly — being on the other side of that story carries a gravitas that must be noted.
The bigger picture, though, is staggering. There are no former Grand Slam champions left in this draw. Jannik Sinner lost in the second round to Juan Manuel Cerundolo. Carlos Alcaraz withdrew before the tournament began with a wrist injury. Djokovic is now gone along with Daniil Medvedev and Marin Cilic. This is the first time in the Open Era that no former major champions have reached the round of 16 at a Grand Slam. For the uninitiated, the Open Era started in 1968. So, basically, it’s the first time it’s ever happened.
Roger Federer retired in 2022. Rafael Nadal retired in 2024. Djokovic has been the last one standing, and even with Alcaraz and Sinner capturing all the biggest titles, I have been hesitant to call it the end. But we may be there. Roger, Rafa, Novak. Three players who consumed two decades of Grand Slam titles and made the rest of the field look like the supporting cast. Whether or not Djokovic returns next year, the golden age of the Big Three is over. You can feel it in the air at Roland Garros.
The conditions have done their part to make this week historically cruel. Paris has sat at 90+ degrees all week, and clay does not forgive the legs. Long rallies, physical attrition, no shortcuts. The surface demands everything from a player’s body, and this week it has been collecting on that demand with interest.
So who wins this thing? The best I can say is it’s going to be someone new. Zverev is the clear favorite and has the experience in finals, but the German also has a well-documented history of finding ways to lose slam matches when the stakes are high and the pressure mounts. Ruud has serious clay credentials and heart to spare, but he has played an enormous amount of tennis in the first week. And of course, Felix Auger-Aliassime is sort of quietly lurking in the wide-open top half.
Buckle your safety belts. Week 2 is going to be a roller-coaster.
“You can feel it in the air at Roland garros”….exactly, a melancholy moment in tennis history
He looked close to tears in his presser
It’s hot here in the UK so I don’t think should expect SW19 to tKe any prisoners either
Don’t think people should expect SW19 to take any prisoners, sorry typos
Yes the heat is a leveller. Which is why everyone should have to play in it at some point.
Unless you are Swiatek who apparently controls the schedule and, at her request, plays first. I checked for her match against Kostyuk and sure enough she is on first again at 10 ( UK time). That’s 4 matches in a row for a woman in her early 20s. I reckon she’s the only player in the fourth round who won’t have faced the worst of the heat. If Ryba had played first the day she lost would that have been the outcome? Obviously unknowable but it’s completely unfair.
Exactly
Unless Djokovic has changed his mind, he plans to retire at the 2028 Olympic Games.
To try and win another Olympic gold medal I expect