The door to Grand Slam title No. 25 looked like it was open for Novak Djokovic.
Joao Fonseca made sure it wasn’t open for long.
In a completely up-for-grabs men’s tournament at Roland Garros, Joao Fonseca staged an incredible comeback to defeat Novak Djokovic 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 in a third-round thriller that lasted four hours and 53 minutes on Friday evening. Fonseca also recovered from a 3-1 deficit in the fifth set, breaking Djokovic in the fifth and 11th games of the decider.
Even after his break at 5-5, however, it was far from over. Several tight forehands in a row put the 19-year-old in a break-point hole at 30-40. That, though, is when he came up with the most clutch tennis of his career to date. Fonseca promptly blasted three consecutive aces to clinch a victory in which the Brazilian’s obvious physical improvements were perhaps surpassed only by his mental fortitude in the final minute of the match with those three simple but memorable strokes.
“I actually didn’t [believe I could win],” Fonseca said during 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 (I’m) just thanking him and I’m just very happy.”
Despite losing a match in which he was not only ahead by two sets but also two points from the finish line with Fonseca serving at 4-5, 30-30 in the fourth, Djokovic had no regrets. He was happy with his own level — just unhappy that he ran into an opponent who red-lined for the last three hours of the match.
“(It was) an incredible match to be part of,” the 39-year-old commented. “Obviously (a) tough one for me to lose being two sets to love up, but huge credit to Joao for really deserving to win the match. I think he, without a doubt, was the better player in important moments in those crucial fourth and fifth. Some amazing exchanges and points. Yeah, he just found incredible shots, lines. It was just amazing from his side.
“Obviously not great for me to be facing a player playing in such level, but yeah, I don’t think I’ve done too much wrong with my game. It’s just that he was just better.”
This marked Fonseca’s second straight comeback from two sets down, having accomplished the same feat against Dino Prizmic two days earlier. The world No. 30 won that match 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2.
Prior to Friday, Djokovic had been 301-1 all time in best-of-five matches after winning the first two sets — with his only such loss coming against Jurgen Melzer at the 2010 French Open.
The Serb’s ouster comes one day after Jannik Sinner struggled physically during a five-set loss to Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round. Those results — and Ben Shelton’s setback against Raphael Collignon — have left Alexander Zverev as the lone man in the top five still alive in Paris.
This is the first time in men’s Grand Slam history that not a single major champion has reached the round of 16.
nice one, Fons